"What do you want," Bella said, her words laced with a cold fury.
Shayde stepped forward and paused as they drew their weapons. Her eyes flickered, then she said, "You murdered my friend."
"He's not your friend and he was going to murder me."
"He should've."
A snarl ripped from Hunter's mouth. "Don't talk that way to my Queen."
A smile danced on Shayde's lips. So different from the girl asking for peace in Bella's dungeon. The bridge trembled and she was reminded there was a waterfall thundering next to them. They needed to get out.
"Well, it's been lovely seeing you, but we must be on our way." Bella stepped forward and Shayde clicked her tongue. "What."
"I'm not sure you want to do that. I came prepared for a fight."
"So did I. And look! I have two people on my side. Who do you have?" She scanned the trees behind Shayde. Her mouth popped open in mock surprise. "Oh, you have no one. How disappointing."
"I did not come to fight your companions. I came to ask for peace again."
"No."
"Then I will fight you. Not your... friends." She spat the word as if it had burned her. Maybe it had.
"Very well." She motioned to Hunter and Mel to stand down. Metal whined as she drew the sword from the palace. Blood still caked it. Shayde's face went pale at the sight of it. She sucked in a breath and drew her own.
"I really don't want to fight you," she said, loosening her cape. It fluttered to the ground.
"Then don't."
"You know I can't do that."
Bella took a step forward and Shayde clutched her sword. Her knuckles were white against the dark hilt. Bella let a deep chuckle escape her mouth before going silent. The two girls circled each other.
Bella struck first. Not with her sword, but with her magic. A wall of fire slammed into Shayde. It should've burnt her to a crisp, but a cocoon of water sheltered her. The fire pounded at the wall, not giving up. Slowly, the wall of water expanded, pushing back the fire. Bella snarled and the fire enclosed Shayde once more. She was so focused on her that she didn't notice the waterfall until it was too late.
It slammed into her. The fire vanished from around Shayde and her water exploded outward. A second wave struck Bella. She laughed, her hair plastered to her head. Shayde still stood, her face grim.
Bella lunged for Shayde with her sword this time. Her wrath smoldered, and she knew her eyes were glowing disks of flame. She'd been preparing, more so in the past few days. Any chance she could get, she was fighting.
Her skill showed as she backed Shayde up. She cut at her and Shayde barely got her blade up in time. Bella cut and thrust at Shayde relentlessly, driving her back. Their swords were a whirlwind of steel. Bella's blood sang in time to the deadly dance. She savored the feel of adrenaline pumping through her body, the feel of the sword in her hands.
Shayde blocked another strike and threw her own. Her blade swiped through the air near Bella's stomach and she leaped back. The air became charged as she rallied her power again. She poured her emotions into it and Shayde barely got a shield of water around her in time.
Bella's sword cut through it like jelly. Shayde blocked it but Bella turned her blade downward. She drove her off the bridge and into the trees. Shayde desperately tried to go on the offensive, but Bella never gave her the opportunity. Their magic vanished as they became absorbed with their swords again.
Bella's blade finally slipped past Shayde's guard and the girl turned in time for it to slice her cheek. In shock and pain, her blade clattered to the ground.
"I yield," she panted through clenched teeth. She raised her head and repeated, "I yield." Blood trickled onto her armor.
"Good." Bella sheathed her sword and paused to catch her breath. Nobody had ever fought her like that. She stretched and was oddly comforted by the ache in her arms. "I should kill you now."
"No. Don't." Shayde straightened and grabbed her sword. The blade disappeared into its scabbard. "I will leave and never come back. I promise."
Sweat dripped down into Bella's eyes and she brushed it away. "You promise? And you will leave my kingdom alone?"
"Yes."
"Very well. Leave." She couldn't run away faster. Bella watched the girl disappear into the trees before turning to her friends. Their faces were a mixture of emotions. Mel's mouth was open as she stared at Bella. Her hands shook slightly. Hunter on the other hand... Her toes curled as she beheld his face. Pride shone there, laced with hunger. Hunger, she realized, for her.
She walked up to them both and hugged them. "I think we're done here."
"What did she say?" Mel inquired.
"She said she would leave us alone."
"Why'd you spare her?" Hunter asked.
"Because..." She dragged a hand down her face. "Because I've never seen anyone fight that well. Besides you," she said, poking Hunter's chest.
He grabbed her hand and brought it to his mouth. Their eyes met as he softly kissed it. Understanding flashed, then he was on her.
"Find somewhere else to be," he told Mel, then turned back to her. Their clothes were off in a heartbeat and he moved inside her. She couldn't think, couldn't feel, anything other than him. Her hands clawed at the ground as he slid deep inside her. She groaned and he kissed her. Her breasts tightened and he took one in his mouth. She purred as he sucked, and groaned as he moved slowly inside.
They moved together, as one. The trees swayed above them and she looked farther above. Stars were beginning to pop out. The moon was just a sliver in the sky. The warm air pressed down on them as they made love under the sky. Eternal art for an eternal couple. Never apart.
They finished and Hunter drifted off to sleep. A few minutes later, the crunch of leaves told her Mel had returned. In the darkness, she couldn't see very much but could hear her breathing. The footsteps went off to the side and Bella relaxed again.
Hunter's body shone next to her in the starlight. He snored lightly. She traced the hard planes of his chest. How close she had come to losing him! If Shayde hadn't surrendered, she would've still had to have made that impossible choice.
She shifted and gazed up at the stars. Thousands and thousands gazed back. Here, out in the wilderness, she could see far more than in Vearus. The dark that loomed over her kingdom extinguished the stars, except the brightest.
There's a legend in Vearus that says the brightest stars are the souls of previous rulers. The ones who defied it all. The ones who kept the kingdom intact throughout the years. She hoped one day she would be up there. Still watching over her people.
The sound of a blade scraping sent her bolting upright. Leaves swirled around her. It took her a moment to gather her surroundings. She blinked at an unusual sight.
Hunter sat next to Mel, showing her how to sharpen her blade. The rock scraped along as she dragged it across. Metal screeched and Bella winced.
"Bella, we were down in that place for a week," Mel said. "The moon was gone when we went over. Last night, it was half full."
"What?" Bella went still. "That's not possible."
"Time passed faster down there," Hunter said. Both of them still weren't looking at her. "It's not your fault."
"Whatever." Mel's voice had an edge to it. "You do you."
"I'm going to get water," she announced. Mel didn't acknowledge her. Hunter nodded bur kept his eyes down. She got up and grabbed a leaf. Metal sang again as she headed out of their camp.
She grumbled on her way to the village. Or what she assumed the way was. Stumbling through the dark didn't help her to know which way they had gone. At the very least, they could've told her which way to go. It wasn't her fault they had spent a week down there.
The sound of water had her running. She approached a small river. Small flowers floated from the trees around it. She inhaled and the sweet smell of nectar swirled into her nose. The water was cool to the touch. She dipped her hand in and was about to retreat when another smell reached her. She sniffed again to make sure it's what she thought it was. Smoke.
She scanned the tree line. A large tree with large branches caught her attention. She abandoned her leaf and began to climb.
The bark dug into her palms as she climbed. Her arms ached from the fight last night. Sap oozed from spots on the trunk and she did her best to avoid it. By the time she reached the top, she was covered in leaves and bits of bark and sap.
She scanned the horizon. A tendril of smoke wafted up into the air to the right. Not her camp. No sign of the palace anywhere near her. Her magic flared and she sent a spark into the air. Hopefully, her friends knew what it meant and would come running to her.
She dropped to the ground as Hunter and Mel broke through the trees with their blades drawn.
"What is it?" Hunter asked. He glanced around. "Why'd you signal us?"
"There's smoke nearby," she said. She felt stupid for calling them here for that, but who would build a campfire during the day?
"It's probably just another village," Mel said, sheathing the two knives she had drawn. "It's nothing."
"We should check it out," Bella said. They looked at her. "What?"
"Bella, Shayde is gone. I think it's time we go home."
"No, I think we should check it out."
"Bella—" Hunter began. She cut him off.
"No. I am in charge here, and I say we check it out."
Hunter studied her with a warrior's gaze before saying, "Okay." He strapped his sword to his back and held out his hand. "Let's go."
Mel snorted but kept silent as they made their way into the trees. Mosquitoes lined her arms like she was their personal buffet. She swiped them away but more replaced them immediately.
They came to a small clearing after about an hour of hiking through the forest. In the middle was a cottage. Smoke trailed from the chimney. She thought back to the old man who helped them before. He had a cottage exactly like this one.
"Okay. It's a house," Mel said. "Can we go now?"
"Who's inside?" Bella asked. Mel groaned as Bella approached the door. She knocked three times. No answer. She was about to turn away when it opened. A man poked his head out.
"Who goes there?" he snapped. His eyes were a milky blue and she knew he was blind. Small lines surrounded his face. He was maybe the age of her father.
"I'm Bella," she said. "My friends, Hunter and Mel are behind me."
"What do you want."
"We just saw smoke and we thought there was another village."
"Next one's about two miles north." He began to shut the door when he froze. He sniffed and a grin slowly spread across his face.
"What?"
"Your Majesty." He dipped into a bow. "I almost didn't recognize you."
"You know me?"
"Doesn't everyone?" He chuckled. A deep, raspy sound that would have any sane person running the other direction. "Come in. And bring those lovely friends of yours."
Mel grabbed her arm before she could step inside. "What the hell are you thinking?"
"How does he know me?" Bella asked.
"I don't know. But something about this place gives me the creeps. Can we just go?"
"Give me a minute." She glanced at Hunter. "Are you coming?"
He heaved a sigh. "Do I have a choice?"
"I'm staying outside," Mel said.
She grinned at her before following the man inside.
Plants lined every inch of his cottage. Small lights trailed from the ceiling, the only color other than green. Even his walls were green.
"Wow," she breathed. The air weighed heavily on her shoulders. The man disappeared towards the back of the room. She eased between two rows of plants. She looked back as a plant toppled over. Hunter stood above it, his face the picture of concern.
"Really?" she hissed at him.
"It was an accident," he hissed back. "He has plenty of plants, anyway."
She rolled her eyes and continued after the man.
Thankfully, Hunter didn't knock over any more plants. The back of the cottage was a normal kitchen. Pots and pans hung from a wooden rack. Something bubbled in a cauldron over a fire. A table was covered in drawings of plants and weird-looking tools. The man shoved his work to the ground and motioned for them to sit.
"What do you want," he said in a flat voice.
"How did you know I was a Queen?"
"Your scent. They are all the same, Kings and Queens. Yours, Prince—" he glanced at Hunter—"is quite different."
"What does that mean?" Bella asked while Hunter sniffed his clothes.
"Your scent tells me what power you have. You're one of the more powerful ones. The girl that was just here had an unusually—"
"What girl?"
"The former Queen of the Southern Seas, of course." He smiled in her direction. "She lied to you. She wanted my help raising an army."
"Let me guess." Her fire flickered around her. "You helped her."
"Put the power away." The man waved his hand and her power disappeared. She gritted her teeth. Why does everyone find a way to do that? "I did help her, but I am willing to help you, too."
"How?" she demanded. Hunter laid a hand on her shoulder and she shrugged it away.
"By helping you find Dominic."
The air left her body. "How did you know that?"
"Because I know everything."
A trickle of unease slid between her ribs. "You're not as young as you seem, are you?"
"No. I'm rather ancient." His face cracked open in a smile as he traced the wooden table. "Will you let me help you?"
She turned to Hunter. His face was an unreadable mask, but his fingers twitched at his sides. If he thought it was a bad idea...
"I'm in," she said before she could think it through. "How will you help me?"
"Gather some herbs for me," he said and rattled off the names of plants. Something flickered behind those eyes of his. "And bring that girl in."
Hunter and Bella retreated out of the cabin. Mel leaped to her feet. "We can go?"
"He's helping us," Hunter spat. He turned on Bella. "Why did you agree?"
"Shayde broke her promise! She's still going after my kingdom!"
"What?" Mel's body sagged. "Why didn't you ask her for a blood promise?"
"Because I was a fool." The words hung in the air between them. "Help me gather the herbs."
They plucked the herbs in silence. Bella tried to think of something to say, but nothing came to mind. She had called herself a fool. A fool. And she was. But the words clanged around in her head. Fool. Fool. Fool.
"I am not a fool," she muttered. The plants seemed to laugh at her. "I'm not."
They finished and brought the herbs to the man. He smiled as he felt them approach.
"Hello, my dear. Did you bring what I asked for?"
She didn't answer. Instead, she said, "Help us now."
"Put the herbs into the pot," he said, ignoring her. "Bring the girl to me."
Mel approached him and let him run his hands over her face. When his hands dared venture south, she backed away.
"I wasn't going to hurt you," he murmured. She cautiously moved back into his touch. His hands traced her chest, her waist, her hips. Bella watched warily. The man was enjoying himself too much. Why didn't Mel move away?
"Are you done?" Mel asked.
The man withdrew his hands and smiled up at her. "You've grown up so much. Tell me, how did you end up working for Her Majesty?"
"I choose it." Mel crossed her arms and leaned against the door. "Do you have a problem with that?"
"You know each other?" Hunter interrupted. His hand tightened on his steel. "Why didn't you tell us?"
"Because he told me not to."
"Who is he?" Bella asked.
"My guardian." Mel glanced away from their piercing gaze. "He took me in when my parents were killed."
"I never thought you'd return," the man said. "I've missed you."
"I haven't." Mel stalked over to the cauldron and poured some soup into three bowls. She passed them to Hunter and Bella and the man. "Eat."
Bella took a sip and her mouth flooded with flavor. The soup was thick and creamy. Tomato and basil coated her tongue and it took all her effort not to slurp it down.
"That was really good," she said when she was done. Hunter nodded in agreement. "How?"
"Mel made the soup when she was little," the man said. Hunter slid his eyes towards Mel when he heard her name.
"My name is Mel. It doesn't mean I like it. You will still call me Storm. Or girl. Never Mel."
Mel looked at Bella and an understanding passed between them. She turned her focus back to the man. He smirked into his bowl of soup. Bella's rage flared as she realized he knew what he had said.
"You bastard," she hissed. She was halfway out of her seat when an invisible force held her down. It forced her back into her seat, where she shook with undying anger. "What is this?"
"My magic," he replied. "Wind."
She attempted to move but to no avail. "Let me go."
"Not until you decide not to kill me."
Bella glanced at Hunter and saw he was shaking with laughter. Some of her anger vanished, then was immediately replaced. She wished she had her power so she could blast that stupid grin off his face. Then rip the cottage apart. And lastly, kill the man. Slowly. Her anger faded as she fell into her thoughts. The wind loosened its hold of her and she relaxed.
"I'm not going to kill you now." The wind let her go and she stayed down. "Tell me how to find Dominic."
"He lives in a very secluded area. Lucky for you, I know where he is. However, he will only talk to one person every other day. I talked to him yesterday. So, tomorrow, one of you will come with me to see him. Choose by tomorrow at first light." The man reached for their bowls and dumped them in the sink.
"What will he ask of us?"
The man paused. "I don't know. It varies. He hasn't had a visitor in centuries."
Bella snorted. The man looked towards her and waved him away before remembering he couldn't see her. By the time she realized, he had already turned away.
"You will rest here," the man said. "It's not safe in the woods at night."
"We did fine last night," Bella said.
"The animals were afraid of your power. Tonight, the monsters come out. They are not afraid."
"It's still afternoon," Hunter remarked.
"Then go outside. I'm not keeping you here during the day. Make sure you return at night. Ask Mel what happens if you stay out too late." He finished washing the dishes and strode over to his plants. He took a leaf in his hand and stroked it. "I'm sorry," he murmured to it before cutting the plant down.
"Where are we supposed to sleep?"
"Over there." Sure enough, three beds had appeared over to the right. They were all crammed together, offering no room for movement.
"Thanks." She shrugged off her boots and climbed on one. It creaked under her and she felt like she was about to fall through. It took her a minute, but her eyes closed.
She didn't notice the old man cut up the plant. She didn't notice when he spread it in a pie that he took out of a pot. She didn't notice when he offered it to Hunter and Mel. She didn't notice as they ate it, then collapsed on the floor.