Queen of Blood
Chapter 1

The weather was warmer and flowers blossomed from the trees that decorated the backyard of her uncle’s house. The marble dragon was enjoying the warmth of the sun under a trumpet tree, and so was its rider, who was laying on the creature’s warm belly, taking in every ray of light she could get.

Zeydar had come back from her little expedition to Merrick’s kingdom, Reiska, and had stayed by Arline’s side every day since. Taking care of her and trying to comfort her through her discomfort.

Arline Cole looked drained and sick. Her powers had been taking the best of her, no matter how often she used them or how close she was to rivers or lakes. Her body missed the sea.Her element punished her for being far away from salted and motion water. Not only that, erasing the memories of everyone who knew about her existence in her hometown costed her energy she hadn’t been able to get back just yet.

The sun heated up her body to the point of gently itching her skin but the warmth of the light hugged her, making Arline doze off every now and then. She got up with an unlike heaviness in her body and unstable limbs. When she rose to her feet, her head was spinning. The dizziness was unbearable to handle and ran up very clumsily to a side of a garden and vomited behind the bushes of the Chinese roses.

“For fucks sake.” She mumbled for herself and Zeydar growled in, what Arline thought, was a disappointed tone. “I’m sorry, I’ll get better. I just need to get used to still water.” But Arline didn’t believe she could accommodate her powers to the rivers and lakes that only had life when wind passed through them.

Arline had to move slower to not disturb her body. An action she didn’t enjoy, but headed straight to the bathroom to brush her teeth with heavy steps and then went to the kitchen to makeherself a cup of tea, while she felt absolutely detached from herself.

Since Arline had made everyone forget about her, life had been lonelier and quieter but much easier. She didn’t have to give anymore explanations about what she had done during her time away from home.

Pelagius, Deity of Waters, had stop the threats only for a while despite her sacrifice. He made her believe she could be at peace. But for the past months Arline had been hearing whispers and enchanting singing voices coming from the walls, and it was driving her insane.

She had been staring at her cup for the past minutes but her fixation came to an end when she heard the bronze latch hitting against the front door. Arline started growing worried. No one in that city knew about her existence, meaning there was no reason for someone to be calling her door.

Arline grabbed a kitchen knife as the feeling of sickness left her body, and headed to the front of the house, slowly and trying to hide the sound of her footsteps. She opened the heavy door as quickly as her strength allowed her to and placed the knife ready to attack the intruder, remembering her training with the Huntresses. But as quickly as she tried to attack, the man on the other side grabbed her wrists, directing her back inside and closed the door behind him.

“It’s just me, Arline.” Aidan Farjo was on her doorstep and taking the knife away from her hands.

“Aidan?” Arline was speechless to see him and he embraced her in a hug, which took her even more by surprise but retrieved it. It had been some time since somebody had hug her. “Why are you here?” Was the only rational question she managed to ask him.

“How have you been?” Aidan completely ignored her question and focused on her, and she didn’t look good.

Arline was pale, moving almost like an elder woman. He noticed her skin was cold despite the good weather. All due to her not using her powers enough, and the little magic trick she had perform a few months back. This last action was not known by the Frontlord of the King of Reiska.

“Alive.” She responded and sat down, feeling dizzy again, and letting her head rest on her arms. She was trying to make the nausea fade, to calm her breathing. “I think.”

“Drink this.” He placed a crystal bottle in front of her with a transparent red liquid. Arline uncorked it without thinking twice and took a sip. It was sour but sugary, and didn’t want to ask what kind of antidote Aidan had just given her.

“Thank you.” She said as he took a seat in front of her.

“Nice house.” Aidan complimented her home. And Arline noticed his attempt on making small talk with her. She knew he didn’t just come to talk to her.

“Why are you here, Aidan?” Arline’s voice was filled with worry as she questioned him again, because she assumed that if Aidan Farjo was in her house, Merrick Dortamus couldn’t be so far away.

“Looking for you obviously.” He responded and took out a parchment and passed it to her. “Read it.”

Arline started feeling how the sickness faded from her and she could finally take a deep breath and focus. The more she read, the more she slouched over the piece of paper and the table. She read that letter three times before directing a word to the King’s counselor.

“What do they mean with Queen of Blood, Aidan?” Her confusion was visible.

“Do you know what that position means?” Aidan asked her seating on a chair next to her.

“Of course I know.”

Probably the most cursed position that the High Council could give any guardian was the title of Queen of Blood. It was nothing more than a spirit caged some centuries ago. When the High Council decided to give it a host, it was with the sole purpose of killing a specific person. But in the mean time, it drove the carrier insane to the point of murdering anybody else but who had to be killed, and then the host itself.

“I need you to come with me, Arline.” Aidan begged her. “If you are still loyal to him, you have to come.”

“I can’t go back.” Arline got up from her chair and began pacing the kitchen, replaceing everything around her more interesting.

“You don’t exactly look like the healthiest person in this given moment.” He objected.

“What use would it be?”

“Arline,” He began. “The Council is testing you to see if you are still loyal to Merrick. If you choose to host the Queen, you have no other choice other than to kill Merlina and Larsin, traitors to the Crown.” He exposed. “If you do not do it, it means you favor tyranny. Adding more to your situation as Heir of Pelagius.”

“That means I am getting executed right there.” Arline saw herself with a thousand swords crossing her heart. “Aidan, I-”

She was cut short by the Frontlord. “I will take you to Thailand even if I have to chain you to Zeydar.” Arline noticed how his hair had grown longer in the past months and even his sharp jaw was allowing the entrance of a beard.

“I can’t fight my way out of this one, can I?” Arline said to him as she headed to the backyard and waited for the water to boil to prepare some more tea.

The house dog sniffed the visitor, trying to figure out the intentions of the stranger. They were seating on the garden, admiring the image of Zeydar, who was still sleeping under the trumpet tree.

“How does she fit here?” He inquired, noting how noble and loyal that creature was to its rider.

“She hates it, but doesn’t want to leave my side.” Arline explained to him. “How is he?” She dared to ask him about the King.

“Angry.” He smiled, understanding how hard must’ve been for her to ask that question. “Sad, worried…he cares for you.”

Arline had to lower her head. Merrick had been the only one who had cared for her sincerely. She had to admit she regretted leaving sometimes, but her permanence in Reiska would’ve affected everyone she knew in the kingdom. Arline made a decision, and was willing to handle the consequences with no complaints if it meant she got to keep that kingdom and its people safe.

“He needs you there to reassure your bond. It will give him more allies and they will know neither of you has turned against the High Institution.” Aidan could only roll his eyes to the mention of the Council.

Arline stayed silent, knowing the reason of his exasperation. The High Council weren’t fond of new monarchs and things that threatened their power positions. The eldest members tried to eliminate them.

“If you do not attend, they will think you joined him, making you a war criminal.” Aidan turned to face her as he referred to Pelagius. “And if you do go, you being an ally of Merrick will signify a disadvantage for them.”

“So either way I will be considered a threat.”

“Merrick would burn each member of the Council if they looked at you the wrong way Arline. That is why you have to go.” She stared at him as if he was speaking in a foreign language. “He loves you, moron.” He clarified for her.

“Oh shut up.” Arline rolled her eyes and went next to her dog.

“You do not know how he reacted when you left. I have never seen him act like that before.” Aidan reached her side and remembered his best friends old bedroom. How he teared it apart when he found Arline’s letter on his bedside.

“He doesn’t even want to see me after what I did, and you want the entire Council to think he still trusts me the way he used to?” Arline blurted out for him and Aidan looked at her surprised.

The only way Arline could now about it how mad Merrick was with her was because she had been sneaking on the King for the past months since she had discovered they could see into each other in real time just by thinking of him. Arline could blame it on her acquired ability to read minds.

“Why do you think I am here? To take you and prevent him from doing anything stupid.” He explained after shaking away the confused thoughts that invaded his head, and just accepted the fact Arline knew Merrick was mad at her. “And the moment you fly over the sea, you should recover from whatever is making you this sick.” Aidan had to address her health. It was his last card to play to convince her to come with him.

Arline gave it a second thought and wasn’t quick to dismiss his idea. She was still loyal to him and wether she liked it or not, Aidan was right. No matter what she did, she was still weak. Her only wish was to get better. Arline needed to feel the strength she had when she lifted a sword. She wanted to feel like a warrior again.

“Give me half an hour.” Arline said and left to get herself ready.

“Couldn’t you like someone less stubborn?” Aidan bowed his head to her and thought to himself, hoping Merrick could read his mind from afar.

She took one final warm shower and dressed with a white shirt, a pair of jeans and boots. When she came down the stairs, Aidan was playing with the light switch, admiring how the light went on and off.

“I thought you visited this part of the world before?” Arline wondered and he only nodded, coming out of his trance.

“It doesn’t mean it never ceases to amaze me.” Aidan said.

They left the house, heading towards the beach that was only a few blocks away, as the sun started setting and people gathered in the bars that bordered the sand and river. In a remote side of the beach, they found Zeydar and Harendat, Aidan’s dragon. It was smaller with dark amber scales, that shone with a golden shimmer.

Their riders hopped on their dragons’ back and gave the order to deploy their wings. The sand around them formed smalls swirls as the beasts batted their wings. The breeze up in the sky was the most liberating feeling the creatures could feel, and got high enough for the clouds to protect them from curious eyes.

They directed the dragons west, straight to Thailand. As they approached the ocean, Arline could feel her body regaining some strength. To her dislike, Aidan was right. And when they made it above the wavy water, the pace increased and continued all night, across the dark sea.