Bound by Roses (The Bound Series Book 1) (25 page)

“All she did was for the Realm.” Marguerite lied more to herself than to the woman before her.

“How the lies you feed yourself, are so hard to swallow,” Asena said.

Marguerite inhaled deep and repeated herself, “All she did was for the Realm!”

“What would you know of the affairs of the Realm?” Asena asked of Marguerite. Guilt and remorse fell upon her brow, “Protected and isolated in your precious shining city.”

The Bloodstone tugged through Marguerite’s blouse. She began walking towards the Wolf Queen. The magic of the Bloodstone tingled her neck. Over the rustle of the wind, and howl of wild beasts she could hear a chatter of whispers, and a chorus of hums. Marguerite tried to stop. The Bloodstone popped out of her blouse. It pulled her closer.

“I have heard rumors and whispers of forces that wish to tear apart the peace of the Realm.” Marguerite strained. Her boot’s heels dug into the soft earth, “Who is she?”

“The one with powers like the Queen?” Asena asked with a crooked smile. The Bloodstone she wore hung upon the air, pulling towards its missing piece. The chain it was upon danced delicately up and down like waves in the open sea of the air.

“Yes,” Marguerite pulled back, unsuccessfully. The Bloodstone would not allow her to fall to the ground. It kept her on her feet. Slowly it drug Marguerite towards the Wolf Queen, and the Wolf Queen to Marguerite, who did not struggle. She wanted the Bloodstone. And she wanted to kill Marguerite. This would have allowed her both.

“The Apprentice to the Queen. She has been awakened. It is she who wishes to destroy the House of White and claim Ashok Orai in her name,” Asena licked her lips as she drew closer to Marguerite who continued to fight the increasingly growing attraction the two Bloodstones exerted upon each other. Every beat of her heart, the Bloodstone pulsed. Every beat of her heart, the pull grew stronger.

Marguerite pulled back, sword awkwardly held before her. She was ready to run the sword through the Wolf Queen if she needed to,

“And what is her name?”

Asena flinched. Her step faltered, but did not stop the attraction of the Bloodstones, “Her name is of little consequence to you, or anyone.”

A flinch that Marguerite took notice, “you are scared of her.”

“I am scared of no one!” Asena howled. The Wolf’s delicate facial expressions disappeared. Her jaw grew to a snout. Sharp teeth bared, they glistened in the moonlight, “All should be scared of me!”

“We will see, in the end,” Marguerite whistled.

Her horse appeared from behind the bush. With a rustle it startled the Wolves. A jump, she mounted. Rushing upon the Wolf Queen, Marguerite snatched with precision of a hunter, the Bloodstone. The delicate golden chain that wrapped like a collar around Asena’s neck shattered. The Bloodstone flew into her hand. Marguerite rode with haste, exposed sword clutched tight, while fingers interlocked into her horse’s mane.

“THE BLOODSTONE!” Asena howled deep before she gave chase. With a lunge, Asena’s bones and limbs readjusted. Fire red hair grew. She huffed as she rushed through the dark brush.

Owoooo!

Her two soldiers followed.

Marguerite’s majestic horse rode with the speed of the Four Winds. Hooves dug deep into the soft forest dirt to propel forward. The forest whipped past Marguerite’s eyes in a blur. She did not care; her eyes were fixated upon the Bloodstone pieces. As she rode, the two glowed bright as the burning horizon had days ago. The chain around her neck melted away into mist that swirled and protected the two jewels. The two pieces gravitated together within Marguerite’s open palm. They danced, twirled, and orbited rapidly before merging into a single jewel. A warm, tingling sensation passed through her arm. A cool rush appeared briefly before it disappeared into the Bloodstone, which no longer glowed. The chain reappeared. It swung delicately on the side of her hand. The Bloodstone was once again whole.

As her horse raced on, she placed the Bloodstone back around her neck. Where it bounced wildly up and down with every gallop. The Wolves gave chase. But magic more powerful than their Master’s prevented them from overtaking the white horse and its rider. No matter how fast they ran, Marguerite was faster. No matter how much they smelled they could not keep her scent. It dissipated quickly, masked by the trees, the flowers, and animals. Soon, she was gone from their vision, as a mist appeared before their eyes.

A veil of mist that only their eyes could see. A mist that they could not penetrate with their bodies, no matter how hard they tried. It was grey, but swirled with a prism of colors that danced and swirled delicately. It disoriented the beasts.

Owoooo!

Asena howled, endlessly in all directions. The howl turned into a scream as the transformation into human finished. She screamed and clawed in her attempt to get past the mist, but was unable to penetrate it. The mist numbed her fingers the longer she swiped. She foamed at the mouth as she huffed repeatedly in and out. One of her guards crawled forward, “Perhaps the Witch will not be too mad that Lady White escaped?”

“Do not be a fool! The Witch will skin us alive!” Asena’s guard winced back low, tail between his legs. Head dare not look at his Queen. Asena tried to push through the mist. Where her hands touched the mist, the swirling colors intensified drawn to the heat her body released. They extended out like wings and tentacles all around,

“What sorcery keeps me from my prey!” She bellowed out.

“What do we do now, my Queen?” The second guard asked. The creature sat tall. Eyes dared no to look at his Queen directly. His copper eyes merely stared deep into the multicolored swirl before him.

“We do as instructed,” Asena took a deep calming breath her lip twitched. Her arm wiped the foam from her mouth before turning back into a Wolf. 

“What of the Bloodstone, my Queen?” The first was brave enough to speak again, as he followed his queen away from the strange mist.

“Mark my words, I will find Snow White again—and when I do—I will claim back the Bloodstone by doing what her mother could not—I will kill her—and I will revel in her blood!”  Asena growled rushing away with her two guards. She rushed back to finding Magic Mirrors for the Witch, Theodora Talisa. Find the Mirrors to change the fate the Fairy bestowed upon her. She would live to see both her Empire and Bloodstone together. That she cursed to the Winds, which Asena knew the Fairy and Witch, would hear.

High above a massive Crow watched all unfold before the land far below. A loud caw escaped its beak before it turned and disappeared in the late evening sky.

Marguerite stealing a chance look behind, allowed her horse the chance to take a slower pace across the barren plane now that the Wolves no longer gave chase. She breathed a sigh, and allowed her beating heart to calm. Marguerite wearily sheathed her sword, but looked back once more before she paced it all the way in.

While her horse enjoyed the slower pace, she played with the dull, ice cold, Bloodstone between her fingers. The golden chain glinted in the moonlight with a new vigor. Marguerite could have sworn the chain was thicker than it had been. The links looked different. They were no longer oval links, but now were interlocking figure eights. She liked the change.

Her eyes soon were focused deep within the jewel’s core. For a stain of black bubbles seemed to be locked within. Something she had never seen before. It intrigued her, but paid it no mind, for soon her mind raced quickly with other thoughts.

Her mind raced around the notion that the unnamed Witch reformed the Bloodstone that the Wolf Queen feared, apprentice to her mother. And to the red Wolf, which she can change into Human form, just at the Shattered One said. But now that Marguerite possessed the Bloodstone, it would make her life easier, and the Wolves more difficult. For she remembered, whoever possessed the Bloodstone, the Wolves were bound to their will, and their will alone.

She was safe, for the time being. For the Bloodstone was whole once more.

Nineteen.

Far away from where Marguerite fled the Wolves, a great stone tower was wrapped in thorns and vines. The ancient tower stood within a great walled bramble. It was from within a cave situated high above that two figures draped in thick white robes knelt. Their arms were extended towards a glowing shard of ruby. Hands glowed with a sparkling golden magic. Their brows were tight. Through the fire that was the ruby shard, both figures watched the Wolves no longer give chase to Marguerite beyond the woods.

A great wave of unseen magic rippled over the land that Marguerite raced across. The air seemed electric. It caught Marguerite’s attention. It tingled the back of her neck, but the rushing of the wind, and thunderous hooves distracted her. She slowed when she saw the Wolves no longer followed, but kept a steady pace. The feeling of the magic was gone. She didn’t notice, or didn’t care. She merely continued on.

“She is safe,” the first spoke, her voice high. Hands lowered. Gold glow faded away as mist. The ground hungrily drank every last drop.

“Will she ever be, Sol?” Her male companion asked rising. He wiped his hands against each other. Either to remove dirt from the circle they knelt in, or the residual golden magic he felt tingle his skin.

“Snow White will soon be in Mora Rose’s domain, Lune,” Sol stated as the glow of the red ruby faded. So too did the image of Marguerite riding onward.

“Do you think she can do what we need?” Lune asked of his companion. Sol did not respond. She merely walked out of the cave, Lune followed quickly after her. They stood upon the cliff face and stared down into the great walled forest of thorns and vines.

The moon was bright over it all. Sol stared deeply into the bright night sky. A strange rainbow glow danced around the tower, “the Fairies wove the prophecy at Mora Rose’s birth. She is the only one who can. As such, we have done all that we can to protect her.”

Acknowledgments

Several special shout outs are needed and/or required of me, or so I have been told.

To my amazing Husband, Sean — To whom without I’d probably not have anything done, ever. Not just this tale, but also every tale, and probably a lot less pressure for him to actually indulge me and read my work. As well, who kept me sane while not only writing this, but also house hunting, and moving into said house.

To my loving Family — Who have always supported me regardless of the path I have chosen. I know this is not the art degree I thought of, or the teaching degree I originally went for, but I am happy doing this — and — as promised, this is more up your alley!

To my Mother-in-Law, Barb
— Who reminded me that there was no acknowledgements or dedications page in my first book, Love is Complicated. I am sure you loved this book more than the last. Though to be fair, she is still waiting for the first manuscript I ever let her read to get published. Bastian is coming, I promise!

To my Teavana Partners — Who watched with high anticipation me revise all the various drafts in the back room, only to be told it would be split first into a trilogy, then a quadrilogy (and with a possible fifth). Thank you for allowing me to ignore you completely while I was on break or in early or waiting for a ride. Luckily the store has yet to burn to the ground (Knock on wood!)

Of course to my excited Readers and Fans — Who I would not be here without. Many who have told me personally they were excited for Bound by Tales months ago when it was only in its second draft (and still only one book).