In the Kingdom
CALLISTO WATCHED AS THE WIND MADE THE KINGDOM COME TO LIFE. Banners waved in the breeze, and trees bent against the relentless force. Cloaks and dresses fluttered like pairs of desperate wings on the cobblestoned streets below Callisto's tall tower. Her own black dress floated around her like a heavy storm cloud.
She was still shaken from her experience the night before, when Cressida showed up at her tower as easily as walking into a room. Somehow, impossibly, her docile, weak, breakable sister was able to compromise Callisto's strength and power with a simple animal trick. She could never admit it, but that scared Callisto.
Callisto's stupid sister had nearly broken into her tower, and then demanded that Callisto agree to her asinine plan. But she would never. Callisto took orders from no one, much less her breakable, gentle sister. She had underestimated Cressida. The girl was as ambitious and cunning as any snake.
If the weak Queenling from the House of Earth could accomplish that, what else were her sisters capable of? What other tricks were they hiding?
Callisto was born to be Queen. Her hands were already coated with years of blood, and she was gifted in the arts of the courts. She could lie and kill and deceit and fight better than anyone in the House of Wind. That was enough, it had to be.
"It's cold, Callisto," Mina voiced weakly from the other side of the room. "Close the window."
Callisto closed her black eyes against the calming wind, and ignored her friend. Today was the beginning of the end; Callisto would listen to no one, much less a Lady with little land and even less money.
"Callisto," Mina said urgently, her voice suddenly beside the Queenling.
Without consciously thinking, Callisto shot a net of wind directly towards the girl. Mina cried out as the invisible tendrils wrapped around her body, and pulled her to the ground.
Hold her there.
The voices in her mind hissed violently as the wind rushed out of Callisto. They gathered in her mind like old friends, and whispered poisoned advice.
Kill her. Show the world your power, your ruthlessness. Show them that you're not weak or afraid. She is nothing to you. You do not need her. Kill her.
"Don't sneak up on me," the Queenling growled, narrowing her eyes at her only friend. The voices grew louder.
Mina's chest rose and fell in a sporadic pattern that Callisto could not discern. For a moment, the voices faded away, and she released the wind-woven net. The voices muttered distastefully as she stalked to the other side of the room, slamming the window shut with a burst of wind. Callisto did not dare to look at Mina's face, to see the hurt expression that was doubtlessly woven on her features.
Don't be weak, you can still kill her. Show them your power. Kill her.
"Today's the beginning of the Queentide," she muttered, more to herself than to Mina, "and I will not be taken advantage of. I will not be defeated."
You are power. You are Queen. She cannot order you around. She is no one. She is nothing. Kill her.
The voices crooned in her mind, whispering to her. Callisto listened to them, blissfully taking in the praise of her power, and half-ignoring the orders to kill Mina.
"What will come from you being Queen?" asked Mina softly. Callisto whirled around, sharp words ready. But they died when she saw Mina flinch, and not quite look the Queenling in the eyes.
She is weak, she is nothing, kill her kill her kill her.
"I will rule," Callisto responded simply, "I will give the Kingdom the Queen that it deserves, finally."
KILL HER KILL HER KILL HER.
"And then will you be satisfied?"
But Mina was talking to nothing but air; the voices screamed and roared in her mind as Callisto had stormed out of the room, leaving nothing but a noticeably warmer absence behind.
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THERE WAS A DEATH-LIKE STILLNESS LINGERING IN THE AIR AS CALLISTO WATCHED SELENA'S DISPLAY THROUGH AN OPEN WINDOW. There was another one of her supposed weak sisters manipulating dozens of water creatures. Water-fire crept up towards where Callisto's window was, and water-made falcons flew through the air while liquid wolves ran on the ground below.
It would take a very strong Wave to control so much at once. Not once did the features or movements falter. Somehow, Selena was powerful. Just as Cressida impossibly was, and how Nova predictably was.
Was it possible that Callisto was not powerful enough?
You are weak. Kill your sister before she grows stronger. Kill her. Kill her.
She clenched her teeth, and struggled to focus. The voices had only grown louder since arriving to the Kingdom. Callisto was finding it difficult to do anything without her voices screaming at her to kill someone.
"Soon," she murmured aloud. "I will kill soon."
The voices drifted away until their noise was nothing but a gentle lullaby in the back of her mind. Triumph.
Callisto released a hiss through clenched teeth when Selena destroyed the falcons. Her own Companion was flying far over head, keeping a look out. First, Cressida, and now Selena were destroying her symbol of power, of strength. Only Queens were presented with Companions, and now two of her sisters had mocked that fact.
Each Queenling, except for Nova, had flaunted their Companion around, bringing the animal with them wherever they travelled. No Queenling was formally seen without her loyal, deadly Companion by her side. Ever since Selena and Cressida's Companions had been identified, Callisto began studying their respective animals. She knew their weaknesses and habits and dislikes. Callisto was prepared.
It would take nothing for her to send her wind into the room below, and kill everyone in there, including the Queenling. It was almost too easy.
Kill them all. Make them bleed. Drown the Queenling's water in her own blood.
It would be so easy, so simple. And it would cease the relentless demands for blood in her mind. To kill Selena now instead of later...
Callisto clenched her teeth, and squeezed her eyes shut. No, that would cause her exile from both the Queentide and the Kingdom. She would loose everything for breaking the sacred laws. She would have to resist the beckoning of the voices.
The House of Waves burst into applause below, and, slowly, began to bow to their Queenling. Callisto scowled, and turned away. Her people would never applaud, not for the things she did. And they would never hesitate to bow. They knew what the price for betrayal was, even if it was not betrayal at all.
The Queenling of Wind has a dark heart that begs for blood, not love.
Kill her kill her kill her.
Callisto's hand crept for the sword that hung by her side. Her fingers had wrapped around the cold hilt by the time she realized what she was doing. She jolted, but her hand did not leave.
Yes. Kill kill kill.
The voices hissed with delight as her hand refused to stray from the deadly blade. They knew that Callisto was itching to use it, restless to kill.
Then, a dark smile crept onto her face. Selena had arrived to the Kingdom with a male companion. Callisto would ensure that he never left.
The voices would have their killing and destruction of Selena after all. But not in the way they expected.
Because she was the Queen of Air. And she listened to no one.