The Prophecy

Chapter 1

Darkness surrounded me.

I stood in the center of a familiar room, the walls and shelves covered with the macabre and strange. Snakes floating in jars, teeth scattered among feathers and bones and pestles. A skeleton in a top hat grinning at me from the corner. Frightening, but I wasn't afraid. I knew this place. I just couldn't remember from where.

An old wooden rocking chair creaked softly at the edge of the light. It was facing away from me, and I could see a body slumped in the seat, withered arms dangling over the sides. I took a step closer and smelled the decay, the stench of grave dust and rags and ancient newspapers, crumbling in the attic. Walking around to face the chair, I gazed down at the shriveled corpse of an old woman, her nails curved into long, steely talons, her head slumped on her sunken chest.

Then she raised her head, and her eyes burned with black fire as she opened her mouth and breathed the words that stopped my heart in fear.

And I awoke.

* * *

My name is Elena Castillo Flores.

And I've been working way too hard, lately.

I lifted my head from my desk, blinking at my papers and the nonsensical words scrolled across the paper. A quick glance at the clock proclaimed it 6:32 a.m. Had I pulled another all-nighter? I yawned, shaking cobwebs from my mind, as memory returned. No, I'd come here only an hour ago, to check the status of the new railroad system that was going up around Avalor. It was a pet project of mine; Avalor, despite being the smallest and newest realm in Avalor, was still large and sprawling. It needed a way for its citizens to travel safely and quickly, particularly if they were coming to see their new queen. The railroad was the perfect solution, though it would be a while before it was finished.

I rubbed my eyes, the remnants of a dream fading from my mind. Something with a skeleton and a creepy old corpse...I couldn't remember. Maybe I needed to slow down, take a break or a vacation if the Avalor Queen was allowed such things. It wasn't such an impossible idea now. The Avalon Court, despite all the fear and hatred it still faced from the other courts, was doing well. There were a few hiccups, particularly involving the Cordoba Kingdom, as Coriza boundaries rested very close to Avalor, but as whole things were going far more smoothly and peacefully than I could've hoped for.

Which reminded me. Today marked the first day of Winter. The Cordoba Kingdom Elysium was this afternoon in Coriza boundaries. I groaned at the thought.

At my feet, Beau, my dog, raised his head and thumped his tail hopefully, and I smiled down at him.

"Hey, boy. You need to go out?"

The big dog panted and surged to his feet, wagging his tail. I ruffled his fur and stood, then winced as the floor swayed and a cloud of nausea bloomed in my stomach. Frowning, I put my hand on the desk to steady myself, clenching my jaw until the spell passed. Beau nudged my hand and whined.

I patted his neck, and the sick feeling faded and everything was normal again. "I'm okay, boy," I assured the dog, who gazed up at me with worried brown eyes. "Working too hard, I guess. Come on, I bet Razor is waiting for his daily game of catch-me-if-you-can."

We slipped into the hallway of the palace until we reached the doors that led to the gardens surrounding the palace. As soon as I opened the doors, the people of Avalor shot through, and Beau took off after them, barking like mad. I rolled my eyes and shut the door as quietly returned to the palace, if only temporarily. I couldn't help but smile as I headed back to my chambers, nodding at the Avalor knights who bowed as I passed. This was my life now, crazy and weird and strange and magical, and I wouldn't have it any other way.