Crowned Read online

  Amelia bounced on the balls of her feet once more. “Made this? No me. I found it! You know how Kade and I have been visiting my great grandfather, Justinian?”

  “Yes.” I glanced around, looking for Kade and Rowan. I couldn’t see them, but I could hear their voices rumbling from not too far away. I’d have liked to have Kade here to tell his side of the story, but I supposed that would have to wait. It always took a little while for Rowan to explain why we had to do things for the best of the Casters, not only Kade’s mate. It was an argument Kade never liked to hear.

  “Well, on our last visit, we stopped waiting at the doorstep for entry to Justinian’s chateau. Instead, Kade broke the door down, and we got into a battle with three mages.” Amelia lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “It didn’t go well for the mages. I used my new dart shooter on them.” She pulled what looked like a miniature crossbow from her jacket. “Took them down like that.”

  “You killed them?” I knew Amelia had been getting battle training from Kade, but somehow I never thought she’d use it.

  Kade stepped out into our group. Grinning from ear to ear, he pulled Amelia into his arms and spun her about in a circle. “Amelia had to kill those fiends; they were attacking without provocation or remorse. My mate is fearsome in battle.”

  Amelia set her hands on Kade’s shoulders. Her big blue eyes sparkled with delight. “I wasn’t that scary.”

  “Yes.” Kade brushed a gentle kiss over her lips. “You were.”

  Rowan walked out of the maze and into our group. When he saw the statue, he froze in place. His eyes narrowed. “What’s this? Who’s making statues of Elea?”

  Amelia broke free from Kade’s embrace and started circling the statue, touching bits of bronze or stone as she went. “As I was saying, we broke into Justinian’s castle and finally got to speak with the old goat.”

  “You did?” Bands of excitement tightened about my chest. This might be the information we were looking for. “Did he tell you where the Sword was?”

  Amelia sniffed. “He said the Sword was hidden and would find me when the time was right.” Amelia poked at a bit of worn leather on the statue. “The man really was useless, but then Kade had the idea to search the chateau, and we found this statue.”

  Kade turned to Rowan. “I had the palace mages transport it back here to the laboratory. They ran some Assessment Spells on it. The thing is made of bronze gears, wood, stone, and some small leather bits. It was made by Amelia’s forebears.”

  “This certainly looks like the work of your family,” I said.

  “The mages also ran an Age Incantation on it. You won’t believe the results.” Kade gestured toward the kneeling figure. “That’s two thousand years old.”

  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Two thousand years old? Are you certain?”

  Amelia kept poking at the statue’s shoulder. “Positive. They ran the spell about a dozen times.”

  Two thousand years old, so it was built around the last time someone was sacrificed during the Martyr’s Comet. Plus, this statue looked like me and was an heirloom of Amelia’s family. Instead of getting answers, every time I got more information, I only turned up more questions. In this case the query went something long the lines of: What in blazes is going on here?

  “Did the mages get the figure to do anything else?” asked Rowan. “It looks like it was designed to move.”

  “The mages didn’t.” Kade beamed with pride. “Amelia did.”

  “It took some tinkering, but I got it to work a little,” said Amelia. “This dolly-mech doesn’t function like it should.”

  My brows lifted. “Dolly-mech?”

  “It needed a better name than statue.” Amelia pointed to the statue’s base. “You can see that this was broken off from a larger set of dolly-mechs. I think there were three figures in the original piece. That’s why I can’t get it to do everything it was created to do, but I have gotten our dolly-mech here to say a few things.” Amelia stood behind the figure and fiddled with some tiny buttons and levers on the back of its neck.

  A small door on the back of the dolly-mech’s head swung open. Amelia began fiddling with whatever was inside this machine’s head. For a few long seconds, there was nothing but silence.

  After that, the dolly-mech moved.

  The figure lifted its head and opened its eyes. Metal creaked and groaned as its jaw moved. “I am Elea,” it said.

  Her words ricocheted around my head. I am Elea? How can that be?

  “And she looks like you,” gushed Amelia. “What are the chances?”

  “What are the chances indeed,” I said slowly. Other Necromancers like me had died every two thousand years for these damnable gateways. Had the girls all shared my name as well as my proposed fate? If so, it didn’t bode well for me getting out of this alive.

  “The Sword of Theodora is in two parts,” continued the dolly-mech. “Do you have both?”

  My brows lifted. “The Sword is in two parts? That’s news.”

  The figure blinked over and over. “Do you…Do you…”

  “Oops.” Amelia bent over the figure again. “This happens sometimes.” A soft clang sounded as Amelia fixed something inside the dolly-mech’s head. “Ah, here we go.”

  The dolly-mech began speaking again. “The Martyr’s Comet has come at last. It is time to heal the gateways. I am prepared to make my sacrifice…Sacrifice…Sacrifice…”

  As the dolly-mech stayed stuck on the word sacrifice, I thought back to the many Necromancers like me who died to fulfill the Prophecy of the Martyr’s Comet. I stepped against Rowan’s side; he wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

  “Yipes, she’s never said that before.” Amelia fiddled with the dolly-mech’s head, and the figure froze in place. “Sorry about that. I’m sure you don’t like being reminded of, you know.” Amelia slammed the tiny door shut on the back of the dolly-mech’s head. “That’s all she’s ever said. What an odd happenstance, finding her like we did.”

  Rowan pulled me closer against his side. “I don’t believe in coincidences.”

  I leaned my cheek against Rowan’s shoulder. “It’s maddening. Instead of finding out what the big picture is, I keep getting more unrelated puzzle pieces. Are these dolly-mechs all part of some greater plan? If so, how?”

  Amelia nibbled on her thumbnail. “So, does that mean you’re going to do it? You’ll call Mlinzi and Walinzi tonight?”

  “That’s the idea,” I said. And as soon as the words left my lips, I wished they rang with more confidence. “We’ll join the Festival of Monkeys and make our wish with everyone else.”

  Rowan kissed the top of my head. “Perhaps they won’t even answer our call for information.”

  “It’s possible,” said Kade as he glared at me. I knew what the man was thinking. It might be possible it was anyone other than Elea.

  Rowan raised his right arm, which was a sure sign he was beginning a spell. “Let’s go back to our rooms and get ready. The festival starts soon, and we need to prepare. I’ll cast the transport spell.”

  I wrapped my arms around his waist. “I’ll always take you up on any offer to transport.”

  “I’ll take that as a complement.” The veins in Rowan’s arm began to glow with crimson light as he pulled in more energy for his spell. Rowan glanced at Kade and Amelia. “We’ll see you there, yes?”

  Rowan’s brother and my best friend barely had time to reply yes before Rowan and I were encircled in red smoke. The transport spell had begun.

  Soon, it would be time to get ready for Mlinzi and Walinzi.

  That said, I didn’t know if anyone could truly be ready for trickster gods. The most I could do was expect the unexpected and hope it ended up with my having the Sword of Theodora and some way to avoid death in three days.

  But that wasn’t a comforting thought at all.

  Chapter Five

  Rowan transported us back to our cabana behind the palace. Of course, we had a formal
room in the castle itself, but that was more for show. Rowan and I actually lived in this small round structure made of bamboo. It was simple, cozy, and perfect.

  Once the red smoke disappeared, I noticed the thin line of moonlight peeping through the bamboo walls. After that, I noticed the touch of gentle kisses along my jawline. Rowan.

  “I thought we were getting ready for the festival?” I asked. “There’s a lot at stake here.” Including my life.

  “Caster culture is all about appreciating the moment. You never know what the next day will bring, let alone the next hour.” Rowan kissed a slow path down my throat. “And we have at least an hour here.” Rowan nipped at my neck, sending a jolt of desire through me. “And I want to take this moment with my mate.” He pulled my body flush against his.

  I pursed my lips and did some quick calculations. “When does the Monkey Festival begin?”

  “It started hours ago, but the chance to summon the trickster gods is still quite some time away.”

  Rowan’s kisses were distracting, but I wasn’t sure at all about this Caster concept of enjoying the moment. At least, not this particular moment. Tonight’s festival took place at Trickster’s Haven, a village that was halfway across the continent. Although Rowan was strong with transport spells, it still might take us some time to get there. “Are you sure we shouldn’t leave now?”

  “Positive. We’ve plenty of time before midnight. That’s when the summoning takes place.” Lifting my hand, he gently brushed his lips across my ring finger and mating band. A flutter of excitement moved through me. It was true. Being held by Rowan was something to savor. “Perhaps we could wait just a few minutes more.”

  Rowan gave me his lopsided grin. “Now, you’re making sense.”

  A series of heavy slamming noises boomed from the door. I’d know that particular knock anywhere, because it was no knock at all. In fact, it was more like a battering ram of a fist slamming into the thin wood. And that kind of noise typically came from only one category of Caster—Rowan’s personal guard.

  “My king, your presence is requested at the festival.”

  Rowan chuckled. “As I was about to say, it’s only a matter of time before one of my guards shows up and drums us out of here.”

  The kisses were too delicious to end so quickly, so I mouthed two words to Rowan, One hour?

  Surely, the Casters wouldn’t notice sixty little minutes.

  Rowan leaned in to nip my ear. “Yes, I think the Casters can wait another hour.”

  The pounding continued. “I heard that,” bellowed the guard. “No one can wait an hour. The people grow too happy to listen to a speech.”

  Oh, no. That was guard-speak for the crowd getting too drunk too quickly. Unless we showed up and started to add some structure to the evening, the Casters could quickly turn from a celebrating crowd to a drunken mob. Those tended to be horrible to clean up.

  Rowan rubbed his nose along mine. “They never pay attention to my speeches anyway.”

  “Your brother Jicho can’t stay much longer,” added the guard. Although he as still speaking through the door, the man’s voice was rather loud. I wonder if the ability to yell through doors was a requirement for the personal guard. “He said to tell you that he’s wanted to show you the mechanical boat he’s been building with Amelia.”

  I gave Rowan a sad smile. “We can’t miss Jicho showing us his machine ship.”

  Rowan slowly brushed his lips across mine. “Agreed. We’ll leave immediately.”

  “Thank you, Genesis Rex,” said the guard through the door. “We’ll expect you to transport to the site within five minutes.” Now, I understood that part of the guard’s role was to keep Rowan on time and kingly, but they oftentimes seemed overzealous in my opinion.

  Rowan shook his head. “You have my word that my mate and I will arrive in two minutes. I have more than enough magick to cast spells to alter our appearances and transport.”

  As a rule, mages tried not to use magick for daily skills that could be done without it. Overexposure to power warped the mind until all you could focus on was casting meaningless spells.

  “That’s all I needed to hear,” said the guard. The pounding stopped. We really needed to give them less power over our schedule. That said, whenever we limited their access, the people ended up almost killing one another in drunken brawls.

  Rowan held up his hand. “Shall we?”

  “I’d like that.”

  He linked his fingers with mine so both our hands touched. “Then let’s journey together.”

  And so, we did.

  Chapter Six

  Before I knew it, Rowan’s transport spell to Trickster’s haven was complete. My mate and I now stood on a dry plain covered in hardy-looking ferns and a few spindly trees.

  I gave Rowan’s hands a gentle squeeze. “You’re going to spoil me, transporting us both everywhere.”

  Rowan winked. “And I’m not even trying hard.”

  I kissed the tip of his chin. “Showoff.”

  “For you? Always.”

  I ran my fingers up his arms. When Rowan had rescued me from the gateway, threads of violet magick had wound up his limbs. It was a sign of hybrid magick at work. “Have you tried to create the cords again?”

  I didn’t need to clarify my question further; Rowan knew what I was asking about. We both loved innovations in spellwork. He shrugged. “A few times.”

  “So you’ve been obsessing about it ever since.”

  “Only every second.”

  Chuckling, I turned away from Rowan. He’d transported us to the base of a massive cliff carved with the images of a huge pair of monkeys. No doubt, those were representations of Mlinzi and Walinzi, the trickster gods this festival was designed to celebrate. These two giant deities were shown dancing with their arms raised. Caster runes were carved about their heads.

  I pointed to the foreign words. “What do those say?”

  “Welcome to Trickster’s Haven. If Mlinzi and Walinzi decide to grace us with their presence, a gateway will appear at the base of this cliff wall. The village here cares for the cliff face until the next arrival of the Martyr’s Comet.”

  “And what does that involve?”

  “They clean the stone and leave offerings for the gods.” Rowan pointed to the cliff base. “See those?” Small piled of flowers and dried fruit lined the ground by the cliff wall. “They are in honor of Mlinzi and Walinzi.”

  “And in a practical sense, the villagers also keep strangers away from these powerful gods that might be useful to Casters.”

  He chuckled. “My practical mate. Yes, that, too.”

  The cliff itself was a sheet of brown rock that split at the base. From this opening poured a great river. The main body of water was calm and dark, reflecting the comet’s red glow. Many tributaries snaked off from the main body. Along the numerous connected riverbanks, there stood lines of clay houses that crawled off into the distance. Tall lookout towers highlighted the horizon line.

  No sooner had we appeared than a group of Casters noticed us. They wore multicolored leathers and drunken looks on their faces. Some carried flutes and beat on drums. Behind them, others danced in circles or belted out songs. The din seemed to grow louder by the minute. Their voices rolled over me in a barrage of greetings.

  “Huzzah!”

  “Genesis Rex.”

  “Genesis Regina.”

  When this greeting came, I merely nodded and smiled. I’d long ago given up trying to correct the Casters on calling me Genesis Regina. It was true that I hadn’t officially taken the crown of the Caster people, but to them, that was nothing but a technicality and, of course, a good reason for a future celebration of massive proportions.

  Next, the group of Casters headed off into a clay dwelling where the singing soon became especially loud. I shook my head. Casters and their celebrations. A flock of children sped past us, trailing long strips of orange fabric on tall sticks. I realized they were supposed to represent mon
key tails.

  Rowan wrapped his arms around me, pulling my back against my chest. “How is my mate? You still feel well after your battle with the gateway?”

  “I’m fully recovered, thank you.”

  “Such a shame we couldn’t be together before the festival.” Rowan’s voice rumbled with desire.

  A blush colored my cheeks. “There will be time later on.”

  Rowan leaned in and kissed the tip of my ear. “A lifetime, yes.”

  How I wished I could sit here all night, enjoying the touch of my mate. Unfortunately, we were for a very specific purpose. “Now, where do we find this Mlinzi and Walinzi?” And the Sword of Theodora.

  “There will be a summoning ceremony at midnight.” Rowan gestured around him. “Everyone gathers here, at the base of the cliff wall and calls to Mlinzi and Walinzi, asking for help with their heart’s greatest desire. If the gods approve, the tricksters name the lucky supplicant and open the gateway.”

  “Midnight, eh?” I scanned the moon. “That’s not too far away.”

  “Yes, I have just enough time to introduce you to the celebration of the year.”

  I tried to hide my smile. Not well, I had to admit. “Wasn’t the last week’s festival the celebration of the year?”

  “It was. But this one takes place during the Martyr’s Comet.”

  “So it’s the greatest festival until the next one.”

  “Precisely. You’re acclimating to Caster life quite well.”

  “Will you show me Jicho’s mechanical boat along the way?”

  “I’ll try, but I’m afraid he’s keeping the location a rather big secret.” With a gentle touch, Rowan wrapped my hand around his forearm. “Let’s see if we can’t suss out the hiding spot?”

  “That’s a plan.”

  Together, Rowan and I proceeded through Trickster’s Haven. To me, the place became a blur of clay buildings and smiling faces. The network of rivers divided the city into districts with small reedboats lining the banks. Much as I scanned every vessel, I had yet to see Jicho’s mechanical ship. In fact, we both had yet to find Jicho himself. Yes, it was common for the boy to run off. Still Jicho was a nine-year old. Both Rowan and I would rather know where he was.