Page 7 of Queens Will Play

“Be cautious, my love,” Smoky said, leaning down to kiss me on the forehead. Trillian grabbed my hand as I passed him, kissing it and letting it go again. None of them interfered with my connection to the Moon, and all of them accepted that the Moon Mother held the core of my spirit and the heart of my love. She was a part of me, and I was a part of her.

“I’ll guard her,” Morio said, and both Smoky and Trillian nodded. Morio was my partner in magic, a connection I shared with no one else. He was priest to my priestess. He knew when to intervene, and when to stand back. And he had taught me to face the bones of death magic with respect, but without fear. We had stood together on the edge, facing the void together, and come back unscathed but changed.

“Take my hand,” I whispered, sliding deeper into the magic as it built around me.

He reached out and grasped my fingers, and the energy crackled between us. I led him out into the side hall where my guards knew better than to interfere. They stood back, bowing their heads as we passed by, but said nothing.

Morio opened the door for me, to the path leading into my private sanctuary. Heavily guarded on the outside, the inside was for me and my men alone. No one else could enter without my permission. Morio understood the magic here, but even Smoky and Trillian paid the grove deep respect when they entered. For this was my private haven, where the Moon Mother and I communed.

A chill wind was blowing. It spun the leaves off the trees to spiral and twist before they blanketed the ground in a quilt of sodden crimson and gold. The night was rife with the scent of wood smoke. Beneath the smoke, flowed notes of cinnamon and apples, of pumpkins heavy on the vine, and the tang of the approaching winter. I loved this time of year—it was the time of witches and spirits, of shadow magic and old ghosts and ancient gods.

As Morio and I entered the enclosure, the magic that we’d built over the past couple of years surrounded us, a sphere of power built spell by spell, until it was almost a conscious entity. Here, in the chill of autumn, I crossed to the central altar which was carved out of a massive quartz spike. It hummed as I came near, and I reached out to run my fingers along the smooth surface. The energy radiated outward, and I bathed in it, drawing it in to boost my own power. I took my place on the bench in front of the altar and raised my face to the sky.

The moon, she was hiding. She was on her way into the void, and only a sliver of her shimmered in the sky, the faintest crescent reflecting her bow. Cloaked in the dark of night and the stars, she looked down as I raised my arms, open wide to embrace her power.

“Moon Mother, I am here. What do you ask of me?” My voice broke the silence, reverberating through the grove.

The Moon Mother rippled. “Stand before me, daughter.”

And I slipped onto the astral to stand before her. She was brilliant and massive, cloaked in her shadows, her bow glistening against the sky. Her eyes shone forth from within the folds of her cloak. I knelt at her feet.

“Come, my daughter. I need to show you something.” She turned and began to race through the sky.

I followed her, my feet light as my robes billowed behind me, caught up by the astral winds. We ran through the sky, through the stars, through the mist that spiraled around us. I did not breathe—here there was no need for breath—and we set a ghostly trail of lights in the wake of our footsteps. Whispers surrounded us, fleeting snippets of conversation from denizens of the realm we passed by, and spirits dove out of our way, fearing the power that embraced the Moon Mother. There was no telling how much time had passed, for in the presence of my Lady, time stopped. Finally she slowed and I followed her lead.

I wasn’t sure where we were, but she pointed toward a nearby pool. “Look and see.”

I cautiously approached the water. The pool was perfectly round, set into the ground, and the mist that constantly enshrouded the astral plane had pulled back to show the surface. Perfectly still, the water reflected an inner light. As I knelt beside it, I realized that it was a mirror. I leaned forward, obeying my Lady’s command.

As I gazed into the mirrored water, images slowly took form, spreading out in a tapestry, like an old film—grainy and flickering.

Images of the past flowed by, images of my father and my cousin Shamas, of Chase and even of Martin, the ghoul, who Wilbur had finally let go to his rest. Grainy pictures fluttered past: the fall of Elqaneve—bodies burning, buildings crashing down. Scenes from the final war against Shadow Wing played out, a thousand dragons filling the sky and the demons fighting on the ground. My heart sank. All these memories I had tried to leave behind, but they were there, still existing, still alive in my heart. Disheartened, I understood that they’d forever be a part of me. I’d never forget them—they were all part of my story.

The imagery fogged over before clearing again to reveal a tall man with blood-red eyes. But he was no vampire. No, he was alive, and his power rippled around him in waves so strong that, even from one glimpse, he scared the fuck out of me.

“Who is he?” I whispered, but the Moon Mother said nothing.

As I continued to watch, screams echoed around him, but he merely smiled and looked out of the pool. I swore, he knew I was there. He stared at me, a canny smile on his face. A knot formed in my stomach, and I stumbled back, sure he could see me.

He was tall and fit, almost beautiful, with shoulder-length dark hair. Dressed in a designer suit, he wore a hat with a feather. He reminded me a little of Morio, but there was something behind his eyes that struck absolute fear in my heart. I pressed my hand to my stomach.

“Who is he?” I asked again, panic creeping into my voice. I had no idea why he frightened me so much, but I wanted away from him; I wanted out of his sight and away from his grasp.

This time, the Moon Mother answered. “He’s had many names over the eons, and he comes from the Subterranean Realms. He’s in Otherworld right now, but he’s woken to life again. Camille, unless you stop him, both of your worlds will pay for his existence. Look to old friends for help and answers. Remember, all things are linked. A single word can change the world. And not all demons wear horns.”

Before I could say another word, I found myself back in the grove, lying on my side by the crystal altar. The Keraastar diamond felt like it was choking me, and as my men rushed to my side, I curled into a ball, wanting to crawl into a deep cave where I could hide from all things that lived under the night.

CHAPTER THREE

The next morning, court went about as I expected: a never-ending series of stupid cases with people who should have better things to do with their lives. There was only one remotely interesting case I had to preside over, and that was a man who suspected his neighbor of inviting a group of pixies in to pester his family. There was no proof, of course, and I’d dealt with pixies enough to know that they didn’t need any encouragement to be the worst possible pests. I directed him to someone who might be able to help eradicate them—or rather, relocate them.

After I was done, I shrugged off my official robes and changed out of my crown for a much less ostentatious tiara, which was as little as my advisors would allow. They fully resisted my efforts to modernize the throne, but too fucking bad. It was my throne, and I’d create my own sense of decorum. Which made me think of Aeval blaming her advisors for kicking out Vanzir. If she wanted to, she could tell them to go fuck themselves.

I pushed past my guards and strode down the hallway. They scrambled to keep up, but by now they knew me and were always ready.

People bowed as I passed by, but I ignored them. Never let yourself get caught up in the pageantry, or it could come back to bite you in the butt. I entered my chambers and headed toward the lunch table.

Vanzir was sitting there, along with Morio. Trillian and Smoky were nowhere to be seen. Maggie was in her playpen. She and Vine and become fast friends.