Treachery : book 2 of Codex Elysium

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Present time: Vanaheim

"To Arms!" Screamed Sophia as she scrambled up the crumbling staircase and onto the battlements.

"Archers, on the wall right now!"

Sophia raised her rusted spear high above her head as she continued to bellow out orders to imaginary soldiers.

"Get those damn gates shut right now!"

A violent cram seized her stomach, forcing Sophia to double over in pain and drop to her knees. The new diet was still not agreeing with her. Her stomach emptied its feeble contents all over the battlements. Sophia wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and began to laugh hysterically. The other voice spoke up in her head.

"Who are you ordering about? You have no army. You know that the gates can't be shut. There is nothing left of them but rusted hinges"

Some distant part of her mind knew this to be true, yet she refused to accept it. She spat out some more bile and rose back to her feet.

"To arms! The enemy is up on us!"

Two women in pure white dresses walked down the crumbling causeway. At first Sophia had thought they must be angels, for they seemed to shimmer with a heavenly glow. But then she saw the army marching behind them and knew they were not angels. The army seemed to be comprised purely of women. All fierce and strong, strange blue tribal tattoos on their faces, swords and axes strapped to backs and sides. They wore very little armour, in fact they wore very little at all.

Sophia was shaking uncontrollably, her legs were ready to give out but she was a queen now and she would act with dignity.

"HALT!" Sophia forced as much command into her voice as her weakened state would allow "You may go no further!"

The two women in white stopped, in the same beat their entire army halted without any kind of command being given.

"I am Sophia. Queen of desolation and I say you go no further!"

Sophia doubled over again as more cramps seized her. She fought hard against the pain. Now was not the time to be throwing up.

Hella scowled up at the queen and crossed her thin arms, she turned to Gullveig and hissed

"Sophia? Please don't tell me that this lunatic is the third witch of our coven?"

Gulveig stroked her chin in thought as she watched the queen straighten up again. Sophia was so much skinnier than she remembered, all the flesh had gone from her face leaving her looking gaunt, the twisted tangle of filthy hair had been blonde. Clearly the girl wasn't washing or eating. The very first witch of the nine worlds stepped forward. "Sophia?"

"That's Queen Sophia to you! Or your majesty if you prefer!"

Gullveig narrowed her eyes but didn't rise, she could feel Hella tense up beside her. Clearly Sophia was nearing her end, starvation and isolation had clearly taken her mind. She was using her spear like a staff and clinging onto it like a life line. It wouldn't be long before she dropped.

"Apologies......your majesty. I am Gullveig, the first witch of the nine worlds and I am simply here to return to my homeland"

Sophia rocked violently, like she had been physically struck. Gullveig? Could it be? Was this real?

"about as real as you being queen and commander of an army" said the cruel voice in her mind. A thousand emotions surged through Sophia all at once. She had trusted that witch, she had believed in Gullveig, had faith that she would be lead to a paradise world. Instead, that faith had landed her in hell. Throwing her head back, Sophia screamed up at the sky, she looked down on the two witches and leveled an accusing finger at them. "You lied to me!" she tossed her head back and screamed with primal fury as she wavered on unsteady legs "You tricked me and betrayed me. You damned me to Hell"