Messenger in the Mist (22 page)

The people walking the countryside hailed her as she pulled up, hands rising in the air in a universal gesture of peace. Star reined her horse in and slowed to a halt, drawing the attention of the new colonizers. One by one, they stopped their hammering and gathered together to meet the strange rider from the north. She thought she heard someone whisper
white rider
and wondered how she’d come to be so well known.

“You must be Star Nightengale.” The closest man approached her as she dismounted. The others stared at her as if she were a demigod.

“I am.” Star was baffled by their hushed awe and respect.

“The king has uttered your name as our savior, the white rider who rode to stop the mist. The one who saved us all.”

“The king?” Star hadn’t ever met the king. Valen must have told him of her quest.

“Oh, yes. He sent scouts to look for you when the mist ended. We feared you perished.”

She looked down at the ground. “One of us did. He is the true hero.”

The men fell silent around her, and she saw faces full of gratitude and hope.

Another man spoke. “He did not die in vain.”

Star recognized the speaker right away. He was the fiddle player who had stood next to her in line when she returned the bunnyfly. She sniffed back tears. “So you’ve finally found a home, I take it.”

The man bowed his head. “Thanks to you and the man who died, we all have.”

“Leer.” Star rubbed her sore eyes. “His name was Fallon Leer.”

* * * *

The drawbridge to Ravencliff hung open like a shocked woman’s mouth. Star rode past children as they ran through the meadows just outside of the walls. One little girl held a basket of dandelions and skipped alongside her to bring them home. She smiled shyly at Star as she rode past. All of the children waved, arms reaching above the wildflowers and long stems of grass.

Star dismounted and led Windracer inside the gate. Ravencliff’s walls were not what she remembered. Large piles of black debris burned and smoked, tainting the air. Sections of the wall were missing and scars scratched the stone from stray swords and arrows. Weary guards hobbled and poked at the flames. The courtyard looked like it had been hit by an apocalypse. She could only imagine how terrible the battle could have been.

The same gruff soldier stood at the entranceway. This time, he let her by without question even though she no longer carried a sack of letters. “So you made it, huh?”

Star nodded. “Just barely.”

“The king would like to see you, I’m sure.” He handed her a pass to the castle at the center of the city.

“Tell me.” Star stretched her neck, looking around her. “How many were lost in the battle while I was gone?”

The soldier leaned back and took in a deep breath. He adjusted his seat to favor his right side. Star could see his left leg underneath the table was bandaged from the knee down. “Most of the army. We are almost defenseless against Evenspark’s troops. They could march in and take us over any day.”

“And Prince Valen.” Star’s voice faltered. “Is he all right?”

“That’s King Valen now, and His Highness is in good health, if not stressed from the efforts to rebuild.”

“King.” Star stumbled back against Windracer.

The guard went back to shuffling his papers. “That’s right. Crowned yesterday.”

Star carried the shock of the thought of Valen as king all the way to the palace steps. In a way, she was happy for him. He’d practically been acting as king for many years now and he deserved it. However, for her, it had happened too fast, too soon, and without her being there to accept his change in status. It seemed like she returned to a different world, an alternate reality of her own accidental creation.

An attendant ushered her down the main entrance hall, past corridors of closed doors and to the king’s study, whispers of
savior
following behind her. Star felt uncomfortable with this newly found honor and shooed them back, only to have them bow and stare in awe.

She arrived at a rich mahogany door, and the attendant knocked the brass ring before she was ready. Star knew no matter how much time she had, she would never be truly ready to come face to face with Valen as king. The door opened and there he sat, perched behind his desk in a regal suit with medals of valor shining.

The attendant bowed. “Miss Star Nightengale, Your Highness.”

Star could see a profound sadness in Valen’s eyes that had not been there before, a weight on his shoulders holding him down. Beyond all that, she could sense his relief to see her.

“My goodness, I’ve had search parties scour the lands for you.” He dismissed the other attendants in the room with a wave and he and Star waited in awkward silence until the last of them left. Star thought he would come over to her, yet he stayed on the other side of his desk, still as a statue. To her, it felt a world away.

“I stayed behind to look for Leer.”

“He didn’t abandon you, did he?”

Valen’s distrust of his cousin hurt her. Her own words came out harsher than she meant. “How dare you question him! He died helping me in my quest.”

Surprise flared on Valen’s features, followed by melancholy and, underneath it all, pride. He looked away to a window facing north. Star could see an inner battle waging beneath his severely controlled features and tightened lips.

Star stepped forward. “He was not going to assassinate you. In fact, he was looking for their leader, looking to redeem himself and make things right again between the two of you.”

“There was no need. I’d forgiven him long ago.”

Although she’d only spent a few days with Leer, Star felt like she knew his mysterious ways better than anyone else in the world. He had opened up to her and showed her the shape of his heart. “It was important to him.”

Valen placed his hand on his desk. “He will go down as a hero.”

“He should.” Star held his gaze. A threat edged her tone. “And no less.”

“Of course.” Valen looked away as if other thoughts preoccupied him.

“Leer and I found who ordered your assassination attempt.” Star reached into her pocket and found the clasp with the symbol engraved. She threw it on the desk in front of him and it hit the expensive wood with a rude clang. “There are spies in our neighboring kingdoms, people who controlled the mist and the Elyndra. They said our population rose too high, expanding our boundaries, and they wanted war.”

Star watched as Valen took the clasp in his hand. He brought out a piece of parchment, and she was surprised to see it was the assassination letter. She speculated if it was one of the heavy objects chaining him down.

“The symbol does match, yes.” Valen paused. “How do we stop these people?”

“I already have. Their mist machine is destroyed and the Elyndra are dead. If any survivors exist, they have scattered. All you need to do is weed out the spies within your own walls. I will take care of their co-conspirators in Evenspark.”

“I’ll have my people get on it right away.” Pain stretched in Valen’s face. “You’ve done so much for this kingdom, for my people, and I am eternally in your debt.” His eyelids grew heavy and dark. “I have one last favor to ask.”

Star leaned forward. “Anything.”

“Things have changed. Ravencliff is not the power it used to be. We’ve been decimated by the Elyndra. We have no army to protect us, no way to keep our borders. Without the mist, there is nothing holding Evenspark’s army back.”

“And you think Evenspark will attack?”

Valen’s gaze was steady and intense. “I know it for certain.”

Star studied the depth in his eyes and the lines etched in his face. Not only had he changed, but she’d changed as well. Somehow, the air between them had grown stale. He’d lost his youthful rebelliousness in the battle, and she’d lost her heart in the ruins of the canyon.

That didn’t mean she didn’t care. She’d spent so long saving the kingdom and didn’t want to see them lose again. The Elyndra had spilled so much blood, it felt like there was none left to give. “What can I do to help?”

“You told me once, long ago, you make your own destiny.”

His words tugged on her memories and her thoughts scrambled to a scene way back, when she’d met a young man at the fountain after she’d won the most important race of her life. She’d been daring and mischievous in the rush of youth and he’d been hesitant and questioning, still exploring new ideals. “I remember now. You told me that fate rewarded me.”

The corners of Valen’s eyes twitched with the thought. “Star, you opened up another world to me that I didn’t know existed. You set me free.”

“Everyone makes their own destiny, even if you are a prince.”

“And I’m ready to make mine. This is not something I do because I have to, it is done because it is necessary and honorable and I respect the privilege to serve my kingdom in the greatest way.” Valen sighed, looking down at the thick carpet on the floor. “I am going to marry Vespa. It will unite both kingdoms and stall any war. In fact, it may bring peace for decades to come.”

Despite the logical nature of his decision, Star felt numb and hollow inside. She knew it was inevitable and, as Valen explained, would save Ravencliff and unite the kingdoms. She did not want to see her father go to war. Besides, Valen had never said anything otherwise. He’d never proclaimed his love for her or even hinted at it at all. He had nothing to retract. It had all been unspoken, intangible, and now it was gone.

Valen took both her hands in his. “Star, I’m sorry.”

She pulled away. “There is nothing to be sorry about. You’ve made your decision and I respect it.”

He took a folded letter out of his coat pocket. “I’m sorry because I have to ask this of you. There is no one else I can trust, no one who can ride fast enough to stop the war. Star, will you deliver this letter to Vespa? Will you help me set things right?”

It was only weeks ago she’d delivered his other letter, the letter meant to break the engagement. But Star cared too much for the kingdoms and for Valen. She could not refuse. She swallowed her tears, unable to refuse. “I will.”

“I have a reward for your good deeds.”

Images of the ruby heart pendant hanging on the chain flitted in her memory. She felt sick. “I have no need for your rewards.” Star secured the letter underneath her messenger’s cloak, the white silk now stained with ash and soot. “Farewell, Your Highness.” She noticed that this time he did not try to correct her formality.

With a quick bow, Star left, closing the wooden door behind her, an attendant shuffling past for more orders. She clutched her stomach as it threatened to heave. Somehow, she felt like she had lost a dear friend. But the sadness was nothing compared to the emptiness she felt in Leer’s absence. With him, she’d lost more than a friend—she’d lost a love.

“What’s the matter, madam?”

Star looked up to see Bellanina, hugging her bunnyfly. “Nothing.” She wiped under her eyes. “Nothing, dear.”

“I remember you. You saved my Flopsy.” She lifted the poor animal by its armpits to show her.

Star smiled. “Yes, I did.”

“Is it true what Valen says about you?”

“What does he say about me?”

“That you are a hero and you will save us from the army.”

Star put her hand on the small princess’s shoulder. “Don’t you worry about the army.”

The princess looked down, hugging the bunnyfly to her chest. She rocked her body to lull it to sleep. “But will you save us or not?”

Star’s resolve came back again, an old friend she’d forgotten about resurfacing at the strangest time. “I will.” She pet Flopsy between the ears and, with a wink, she set off on another quest to save the world.

Message for the Queen

Star rode out before nightfall. Her return to Ravencliff lasted a mere four hours. Even Windracer issued a questioning snort when Star threw her saddle back on. But extra time could mean extra lives spent, for Evenspark’s army could already be on the march. After Leer’s disappearance, she did not want even one more death on her head. Not only would she deliver Valen’s letter to Vespa, but she had a message for the queen, warning her about the brown-robed spies, for they’d infiltrated Evenspark, possibly hiring Zetta to carry out their ill will.

Besides, after her conversation with Valen, there was nothing for her in Ravencliff and she felt eager to leave it all behind. What was left of her family, friends and career lay in Evenspark—if she could convince the queen of the Elyndra conspiracy, the benevolence of the new King of Ravencliff, and that a bond between the kingdoms would be better than a war based on revenge.

Her list was long, and she pondered it as she rode the all-too-familiar trail leading her back to her true home. The countryside seemed vast and spacious without the blanket of mist to oppress it. Star dreamed of villages along the way—rest stops, taverns and fields where the people could farm, the merchants could trade and the poor children could grow up in a home and not a makeshift tarp. There was room for so many more people. The possibilities seemed endless and she reveled in the infinite future.

Soon the wire cage topping Evenspark Mountain came into view and Star was faced with mixed feelings about her home. The great squealing metal gates were opened but heavily guarded. Star saw scouts along the hillside, riding up and down the mossy incline with crossbows tied to their backs. Evenspark was still wary, but testing the boundaries holding it back. They were behind Ravencliff in that regard and Star whispered a silent prayer for it. At least the army hadn’t marched out and she’d have a chance to change their fate.

The guards recognized her immediately, allowing her entry with wide eyes as if seeing her rise from her grave. She nodded to each one in turn, pretending she carried out a mission to deliver correspondence and nothing more.

Star looked around with apprehension. The mood in Evenspark had turned from fretful anticipation to a calm silence hanging in the air. Then she realized the mist blowers stood quiet and unused, like forgotten statues of a lost civilization, guarding the grid in mute defense. She wondered if the people of Evenspark would eventually take them down, allowing the denizens to see the vast countryside stretching beneath Evenspark’s foothills, but one thought at a time. For now, she needed to get by the processing tables.