Crowned Read online

  “Viktor will raise his army against you,” added Walinzi. “A great battle is coming.” She tilted her head and stared at me with pinprick eyes in her amber face. Unlike Mlinzi, Walinzi seemed to regard me as an object of sad interest versus a main course of food.

  Rowan’s warnings echoed in my mind. “You’re trickster gods,” I said. “How do I know this isn’t all an illusion?”

  Mlinzi merely licked his lips slowly. “You don’t.”

  Walinzi swatted him on the shoulder. “Don’t mind my brother. He has no taste for anything but eating.”

  “Excellent point,” said Mlinzi. “This one could be rather tasty.”

  Walinzi huffed out a breath. “You promised not to eat any more of my little projects.”

  Mlinzi smile grew impossibly broad. “I break promises all the time.”

  It was good that I had years of Necromancer training, because it taught me to control my emotions. Right now, my instincts were screaming for me to run. After all, a massive orange monkey was staring at me like he was about to munch on my arm for a snack. But I didn’t take Mlinzi so much for a hunter as a bully. He wanted to see me quiver with fear. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

  Instead, I focused my attention on Walinzi. She seemed the more reasonable of the two. “I’m here as you requested. I appreciate your offer of help. Where can I find the Sword of Theodora?”

  “That’s your first question?” Walinzi squealed with joy while hopping up and down, making the ground rumble beneath my feet. It was an extremely animal-like display for someone who seemed so logical just a few moments ago.

  “She doesn’t know anything,” said Mlinzi. “How is that the case?”

  Walinzi stopped her happy jumping. “I told you, the Sire and Lady are fools.”

  My heart thudded faster in my chest, and not just from the instinct to flee. “What do you mean? Where is the Sword?”

  “That’s one question we can answer for you, and we will…Eventually.” Walinzi grinned. “Let’s not forget you had another question as well. You were asking us about hybrid magick and gateways.”

  Mlinzi bared his teeth. “Yes, you need to know how to heal your realm without dying.”

  The words tumbled from my mouth, seemingly on their own. “Of course, I want to know. Very much so.”

  “In that case, we can help you with both questions,” said Walinzi. “But we have our price.”

  “And what is that?” I asked.

  “You’ll find out soon enough,” said Walinzi. “First, you must look behind you.”

  I didn’t move. Mlinzi and Walinzi could just tell me where to find the Sword and the how to wield hybrid magick, but they were already playing games. My fingers itched to cast a spell. In theory, a Compulsion would force them to answer my questions, but in reality? They appeared far too powerful to be affected.

  No question about it. This was going to be a game of wits, not magick.

  Turning around, I examined the rock wall that I’d just stepped out of. Set into the surface was a series of massive orange gemstones, all of them neatly aligned into a familiar arch shape.

  A gateway to a new land. That gave me an idea. These two trickster gods needed to see me as more than a meal or pet project. I had knowledge as well that I could put into play here.

  Turning about, I refocused on Mlinzi and Walinzi. “I see your gateway. Is this your means of letting me know my world connects to others? I’m aware. I also know that the Sire and Lady happen to rule those worlds, including yours. Do you see them as tyrants, by chance?”

  “Tyrants? TYRANTS!” Mlinzi pounded the earth with his massive fists. The ground shook with the force of his fury.

  Walinzi leaned forward until her snout was inches from my face. “We’re different from all those other worlds in the Meadow of Many Gateways. We aren’t controlled by the Sire and Lady.”

  Mlinzi hopped with rage. “Oo-oo-oooo!”

  My mind raced through this information. “So you’re helping me in the hopes that I defeat the Sire and Lady somehow?”

  Mlinzi stopped moving. His eyes flared with orange light. “Yes. Keep us free.”

  “And that’s why you’ll tell me how to recharge the gateways.”

  Mlinzi kept hopping with rage. “No healing the gateways! No, no, no!”

  “You don’t want the gateways healed? But that would destroy my world. I can’t allow that to happen.”

  “NO HEALING!”

  While Mlinzi kept railing, Walinzi merely tilted her head, staring at me with new intensity. “You’re a clever one, aren’t you? We see things, my brother and I.”

  “You have the gift of foresight.”

  Walinzi casually picked nits from her fur. “We see things. Different visions and futures than you do, but we have foresight, yes. Sometimes we use our gifts to—how do I put this?—cause the Sire and Lady trouble.”

  “Tricksters.”

  “More than tricks this time,” howled Mlinzi. “You can save us. You can free us all! Kill the Sire and Lady with the Sword.”

  I held my arms up with my palms forward. “If I get the Sword of Theodora, then I’ll use it to kill Viktor, but only if he attacks. The same is true for the Sire and Lady. If you want them dead, I won’t do your dirty work.”

  Walinzi clacked her teeth together in quick succession. “Do not be too quick to judge what you will do.”

  “I am not killing any gods for you.”

  Mlinzi grabbed handfuls of muddy earth and flung them aside. “Kill! Kill!”

  “Killing is not required,” said Walinzi. “We simply ask for our freedom. And no matter what happens, you must know we’re on your side.”

  My eyes narrowed. “I didn’t realize there were sides.”

  Mlinzi paused, his fists overflowing with earth. “That’s your biggest problem, Elea of Braddock. You’re a fool. Of course, there are sides.”

  “Our help will not be what you expect,” said Walinzi. “However, it shall be what you require.”

  My stomach sunk to my toes. I’d heard statements like this from Petra before, right before she locked me up and tried to force me to become Tsarina. “In other words,” I said slowly, “I’m going to hate whatever you do next.”

  Walinzi nudged Mlinzi with her massive elbow. “See? I told you this one was intelligent. She understands.” Walinzi fell forward onto her arms, setting the ground shaking again. “Our help will not come easily. But without us, you will never find the Sword of Theodora or learn how to use hybrid magick. Are you willing to bargain with us?”

  Her huge orange face loomed before me. It took everything in me not to flinch or run away. However, I stayed focused on the images of so many Casters reaching out to me as I headed into the gateway. Those people deserved answers and peace. So did I. “Name your price.”

  Walinzi’s eyes flared orange and bright. “You must never see Jicho again or communicate with him in any way.”

  My back teeth locked. Jicho had said something about this before, back in the alley at the festival. I promised the boy I would always speak to him. Had Jicho foreseen this moment? If so, it wasn’t very good news. When Jicho warned me, he hadn’t been in the best of moods. Still, I wouldn’t go back on my promise.

  When I spoke again, I kept my body stiff and straight in true Necromancer fashion. “Absolutely not. Name another price.”

  After this, there was a lot of hopping about and screeching, both from Mlinzi and Walinzi. The pair swung from long orange vines, their claw-like toes almost taking off my skull as they swooped overhead. The entire time, I kept my face passive and my stance strong. I couldn’t let them see that they’d unnerved me, even though my heart was thudding so hard in my chest, I thought it might break free to clog up my throat.

  “Are you quite through?” I asked.

  At length, Mlinzi and Walinzi stopped their display and sat before me once more. Mlinzi bared his pointed teeth again. “Perhaps this one is too clever,” he growled.

  W
alinzi scrambled behind her brother and began pawing at his shoulder. “Let’s see…Another form of payment.” She paused. “Perhaps you could give us a memory.”

  “A memory, yes.” Mlinzi orange eyes locked on me. “That will work well.”

  A chill ran up my torso. Before, I’d had a sense of how the tricksters where playing their games. Now, I wasn’t so certain. “What kind of memory will you take, good or bad?”

  Walinzi shrugged. “That’s all in one’s point of view, isn’t it?”

  “That’s not what I meant. Will taking these memories hurt anyone?”

  “No one will be injured,” said Mlinzi.

  I frowned. There was a trick in here, but I couldn’t see it. “There are many definitions of injury,” I said.

  Walinzi’s wide orange eyes became even larger. “We can only protect from physical harm,” she said. “We gods don’t understand how your kind feels about every little thing.”

  “And you’ll get the memory back after you succeed,” added Mlinzi.

  Rubbing my neck, I thought through these conditions. Mlinzi and Walinzi probably did have a rather hazy view of human emotions. Having them promise no injury was about as good as I could secure.

  “I must say, this is a rather fine bargain.” Walinzi stopped fussing with her brother and hopped closer to me. “Do you want the Sword or not?”

  “We’ve only spoken about the Sword,” I countered. “What about the secret of how to heal the gateways with hybrid magick? You promised that as well.”

  “Gateways are evil,” growled Mlinzi. “No healing.”

  “Evil or not, I need information about both the gateways and the Sword.”

  Walinzi pursed her long lips. “And you may have both.”

  I frowned. This negotiation was going far too easily. These two tricksters were up to something. “And you’ll give me all of that—both the Sword and the way to heal the gateways—in exchange for one memory.”

  “Not exactly.” Walinzi raised a pair of fingers. “It would be two memories then.”

  I suppressed a smile. We were negotiating terms now, and that was far more comfortable ground for me. “And for those two memories, I would get both the Sword and the way to heal the gateways with hybrid magick…without my dying in the process.” It was always very important to be clear in a negotiation.

  “Yes, yes.” Walinzi rolled her eyes as if my clarifying were the silliest thing she’d ever encountered. I didn’t believe her act for a second.

  “I want those memories back after I get the Sword.”

  “Ungrateful little witch,” growled Mlinzi.

  “Both memories.”

  “Fine, fine,” said Walinzi. The satisfied gleam shone in her eyes. I didn’t like that look at all. It was as if I was about to make a huge error, and Walinzi couldn’t believe her good fortune.

  An image popped into my mind—something from my talk with Amelia back at the lab. The Sword was in two pieces. “I want one memory for all parts of the Sword.” Perhaps there were more than two pieces.

  Walinzi huffed. “That’s rather unreasonable. The Sword is in two pieces now. It could break down even more. We need one memory for each part of the Sword. Our services aren’t free, you know.”

  So this was their game. Who knew how many memories they planned to take? If I weren’t careful, I might end up leaving here without knowing my own name. “Two memories for all parts of the Sword of Theodora and the secret of how to heal the gateways.” With this statement, Mlinzi and Walinzi began to hop around, so I raised my hand, palm forward. “And please, don’t bother to jump about in another display. A simple yes or no will do.”

  The monkey gods ceased their jumping. It was a good thing, too, since all the movement was making me seasick. Mlinzi looked at his sister expectantly. For her part, Walinzi drummed her long fingers on her kneecaps for a few long moments. At last, she spoke again. “This is a horrid bargain, but yes, we agree to taking four memories for the Sword and truth.”

  “Two memories.”

  Walinzi tapped her chin. “Did I say four?”

  “You did. It’s two.”

  “My sister and I agree,” said Mlinzi. “Do you?”

  I couldn’t believe the pair of them weren’t still trying to pull some kind of verbal trick on me. I narrowed my eyes. “And those memories will return after I find the Sword?”

  “Yes,” said Walinzi smoothly. “And no one will be injured by the memories’ disappearance.”

  My mind spun through every angle and loophole. I couldn’t find one. I’d made it clear that I wouldn’t be killing any gods for Mlinzi and Walinzi…And I did still need the Sword. “In that case, I agree.”

  Mlinzi whooped, making more “oo-oo-ooo” noises. A low boom of thunder rolled over the jungle. The atmosphere became thick with the charged sense of magick. Black clouds appeared, covering up the pale orange sky. Mlinzi and Walinzi were about to cast their spell, and whatever it was, it would be huge.

  Every instinct I had told me to cower. I couldn’t, though. I’d gotten this far without being seen as weak; I simply had to keep my features calm.

  Suddenly, orange lighting bolts jutted down from the clouds. One by one, they formed a circle around me. Instead of a quick flash, each bolt remained in an arc that dug into the ground, churning up stones and earth as it let off shower of tiny sparks. More and more of these little points of light filled the air, until I couldn’t see anything else. The sparks then settled on my skin, but they didn’t burn me. It took everything I had not to scream.

  At this point, I considered that fact an accomplishment. Soon the sparks covered me in a glowing sheen of orange-hued brightness.

  A pair of lightning bolts flashed right into my eyes. I could almost feel the sparkling fingers rooting around my head, finding the two memories, and ripping them out. My head turned woozy. White spots filled my vision. A sheen of sweat broke out over my skin. What memories were taken from me?

  “Enough,” cried Mlinzi and Walinzi together.

  The sparks faded. The lightning bolts fully burrowed into the earth, disappearing from view. The dark clouds rolled away. Once again, two suns burned in a pale orange sky. Mlinzi and Walinzi had cast a spell without using incantations. Interesting. Magick must work differently in this world.

  I looked down to find myself wearing my Necromancer robes. These were ones that marked me as a Grand Mistress. I frowned. What were they up to? They wouldn’t change my clothing without a purpose.

  “What memories did you take from me?” I gestured across my robes. “And why am I dressed this way?”

  “You’re clever enough to figure that out on your own,” said Walinzi. “Eventually.”

  I scanned my thoughts. I could remember growing up on Braddock Farm, learning Necromancy at the Zelle Cloister, and falling in love with Rowan. What else could be important? For the first time since I arrived in this strange place, I felt as if I could breathe freely. Perhaps these monkey gods were truly enemies of the Sire and Lady. The price was possibly the memory of some random flower or esoteric spell.

  Only, Mlinzi and Walinzi didn’t seem like the types to make it that easy. I sighed. Soon enough, I’m sure I’d discover their full plan. “Now, tell me where the Sword may be found, as well as how to heal the gateways.”

  Mlinzi let out a series of loud whoops. “Not yet! Not yet!”

  “What my brother means to say is that we have more to tell you,” explained Walinzi. “To find the Sword, you must first seek out the exiled Necromancers. Find your friend Nan. She can help you locate the Sword’s hilt, as well as give you information about the Sire and Lady.”

  I knew Walinzi had said many things, but all I could focus on was the name Nan. She’d been my friend while I’d been cursed. Agents of the Tsar had killed her.

  “How can that help me?” I asked. “Nan is dead.”

  “Oh, no. Far from it.” Walinzi chuckled, and I thought she was enjoying this far too much. Trickster. “Your Nan i
s alive and waiting for you. You didn’t know this because she doesn’t trust you enough to tell.”

  I pictured Nan’s smiling face. She and I had been imprisoned at the Midnight Cloister so the evil Mother Superior, Marlene, could drain our power for Viktor’s use. No matter how horrible things became, Nan always had a sunny outlook and a plan. It would be wonderful to see her again. But why wouldn’t she trust me?

  “That’s why we gave you the robes,” added Mlinzi. “Now you’re dressed properly to greet your friend.” He smiled more widely than ever, showing his mouth of extra-sharp canines. “And we did all that for free.”

  Walinzi fanned herself. “We’re regular philanthropists.”

  I didn’t believe that for a second. “And where will I find Nan, exactly?” I could cast a divining spell to get the precise location, but I was curious what the monkey gods would say.

  “Ha,” called Walinzi. “That’s for you to discover.” She gestured back toward the arch in the mountainside. “You can return to your world through that gateway.” She rocked back and forth while chittering happily. “You’re quite the clever girl.”

  Mlinzi face rounded into a smile that could only be described as evil. “Clever, clever girl.” The words made my insides twist with worry. They both seemed far too pleased with themselves.

  “But what about the spell for healing the gateways? You haven’t said a thing about that.”

  “This will aid you,” said Walinzi. An orange light flared on my hand. When it vanished, I found that my mating band had been transformed into an orange ring carved with the image of Mlinzi and Walinzi. Another totem ring. This was beyond belief. I raised my hand. “You took away my mating band and gave me your totem ring? What does this do?”

  “You’ll see,” said Walinzi. “It will prove crucial.”

  I stared at the band with new interest. “Will this ring help me heal the gateways?”

  “No.” Walinzi rolled her eyes. “First, you must find the Sword. Once you have that weapon in hand, you’ll know how to heal the gateways.”

  “Sword first,” called Mlinzi. “Remember that. Sword first and gateways second.”