A Game of Crowns

“A hero is somebody who voluntarily walks into the unknown.”

-Tom Hanks

The boat continued to rock and sway as we floated idly waiting for the moon to reach perfect alignment with our world and the sun. My stomach didn’t appreciate the constant motion, but I’d suck it up.

If I could help it, I’d never step foot on a boat again. The view was beautiful, and the breeze was delightful against my skin, but it wasn’t worth the nauseous feeling in my gut.

Thomas, on the other hand, was made to be on a boat. In the week he had been gone from home, he had already picked up how to drive the machinery we rode in. He was a natural. His at ease manner did nothing for my queasiness. It only infuriated me that I couldn’t manage the same effortlessness.

Tobias and Rowan seemed not to be bothered by the gentle rocking motion of the boat. They seemed to be bothered more by the sight of each other than anything else. They sat on opposite ends of the overly large sofa, staring in opposite directions.

Ivy and Willow sat sharpening their knives while my stomach forced its contents into the open ocean. Thankfully, Rowan was giving me my space like I asked. I didn’t want him around me like this, although, I could tell he wanted to be. He didn’t need to see my puke encrusted mouth and pale face. It was not an attractive look.

Ivy and Willow wore matching white jumpsuits with black combat boots. The identical leg wraps they wore held their now sharpened knives. Rowan for once wasn’t matching with his sisters. His jeans and simple navy t-shirt fit him well.

Viktorya sipped water from her metal container as she waited for us to head out. She had shown up with Tobias at the docks. She insisted on joining us for the trip. There wasn’t much I could do to deter her, so I accepted her presence.

I took a seat smack dab in the middle of Rowan and Tobias. I didn’t want to rub Tobias’s face in my happiness with Rowan. I wasn’t heartless. Tobias noticeably tensed at my proximity to them.

“Don’t you three look cozy,” cackled Ivy.

“Three peas in a pod, I’d say,” Willow smirked.

“Not awkward at all,” Ivy continued.

Tobias uncomfortably scratched his wrist.

I groaned. We didn’t need this right now, but of course, they loved causing turmoil. I leaned back against the seat and looked up. The full moon was breathtaking. It’s light alloy-silver color glimmered off the ocean and created a perfect halo on the reflective surface.

We sat quietly for an hour before the darkness began to noticeably get heavier. The shadow of our world had begun to cover the surface of the moon. It was nearly time.

Rowan glanced at me and took hold of my hand, not caring if anyone saw. “You’re ready. You can do this. Do you remember the chant to unlock to spell holding the Priestess’s?”

I nodded. It was all I could manage. I didn’t want to voice my fears aloud, but something about our mission felt off. Something was going to derail us and wreak havoc on our carefully laid out plans. I just knew it. I could feel it in the pit of my stomach.

Rowan held my chin in his hand and caressed my jawline. A feather soft kiss was quickly planted on my lips. He leaned his forehead against mine, eyes shut. “Come back to me,” he whispered.

I pulled him roughly into my arms and nuzzled my face into his neck. I inhaled his soft vanilla scent greedily, hoping to keep it fresh in my mind for my journey into Xandra’s clutches.

He pulled away long before I was ready to let go, but if he hadn’t I would have been content to stay in his arms forever.

I went to join Viktorya and Tobias, who stood at the edge of the boat waiting to jump into the dark unknown.

Ivy and Willow flanked Rowan on each side. Thomas winked slyly at Viktorya, who surprisingly blushed. I looked back at Thomas. His eyes caught my look of surprise. He smirked rakishly as he ran a hand through his wavy hair.

I nearly choked as his cockiness. What had I missed? Thomas raised a hand from the steering wheel and offered a wave with a genuine smile. ‘Be safe’, his smile seemed to say.

Ivy, Rowan, and Willow raised their hands in unison, praising the sky. They were using their telepathic connection. I’d forgotten how eerie and mesmerizing it was to watch them like this.

As one they began to chant. “Great Mother, creator of all of creation, we ask that you open the portal between worlds. Use our bodies and our power to hold open the door for the chosen to pass through. Almighty Mother, hear our prayer.”

Just as quickly as they started, they stopped. Soon after, all three began to sing a haunting melody in the same foreign language I’d heard them use before. A bright light burst up from below the water, lighting the entrance to the Hidden Realm.

This was it. We were going through with this madness. Tobias and Viktorya looked as shaken and awed as I felt.

Rowan broke out of the haunting melody and yelled, “Jump now. Every minute counts.”

Tobias took hold of mine and Viktorya’s hands and guided our jump and we fell into the light.

I expected to fall into the water, but we were in freefall down the tunnel of light. I held onto Tobias’s hand, not daring to let go. My screams tore through my body, echoing around us.

Thankfully, I wasn’t the only one yelling bloody murder. Just as I thought the free-falling would never end, we caught glimpse of the dark rushing water below us.

Tobias let go of our hands and curled himself into a ball, hugging his knees to his chest. Viktorya and I followed his example.

I stopped screaming long enough to hear Tobias yell, “take a deep breath.”

I gasped in a lung full of air just as I hit the water. The current pulled my limbs from the tight ball I had forced myself into. I worked furiously to find the surface, but I couldn’t tell what was up or down in here.

Panic began to claw at my insides. My heart pounded relentlessly in my ears and just as I could no longer hold my breath, an arm circled my waist and began to pull me in the direction I assumed to be up.

We broke the surface and my lungs greedily inhaled as much air as they could handle. Tobias still held onto me as he pulled me to shore. I coughed up the small amount of water I inhaled as Tobias caught his breath. Viktorya stood watching us. She caught my eye and rolled hers.

I desperately grabbed my neck, looking for the pendant Rowan had given me. My shoulders sagged in relief as my fingers curled around the familiar teardrop moonstone.

I could feel Tobias’s watching me. I looked up to meet his icy blue gaze. “Who gave you that?” he asked almost accusingly.

I knew I didn’t have to answer but I had nothing to hide. “Rowan did.”

“I see,” he muttered darkly. “You’ve had it for a while now.”

“And?”

I knew what he was silently asking. I had never told him when it came into my possession.

“Nothing,” he frowned and looked away.

I could tell he wanted to throw accusations at me, but he held back. He had really changed.

I caved. “It belonged to Rowan’s mother. It’s supposed...”

Before I could finish, Viktorya chimed in. “This is interesting and all but we’re on a clock. We don’t have time to hear how your love story with Rowan began.”

I could tell Tobias wanted to hear it, but Viktorya was right. We were short on time. We had to get moving.

Tobias scratched his wrist again and silently swore. “I don’t know why I agreed to have myself marked.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked.

He held out his wrist. On it was a small clock, etched onto his skin with dark ink.

“How?” I asked surprised.

“Ivy spelled it onto me. It’ll let us know how much time we have until we need to cross back.”

“How much time have we lost?” Viktorya asked.

“Twenty minutes.”

I groaned. How had we let the time get away from us this way?

We all silently began to move in the same direction. We had a mission we needed to fulfill.

In our world, night ruled at the moment, but here in the Hidden Realm, day was in a perpetual replay. Well, it seemed that way at least. I always found myself here during the day. The faint pink sky and two moons in the distance were just as I remembered. The roaring of the fast-moving river still thundered beside us. At least this time I was fully clothed, if not completely dry.

We followed the crystal-clear waterway until it began slowing down. The water no longer rushed down its path. It danced softly to the melody of singing birds.

We were heading in the right direction and seeing the outline of the two glass tombs in the distance confirmed it.

“I see the tombs. Come on!” I yelled as I began to race towards them.

Tobias and Viktorya reached me as I began to chant the words Rowan had me memorize. I expected something to happen as the last of the chant fell through my lips, but nothing.

Nothing happened.

“Well that was anticlimactic,” Viktorya said, echoing my thoughts.

“What happened?” Tobias voiced aloud.

“I don’t know.”

Everything was as it was the last time Tobias and I were here. The two women slept in their glass tombs. The pale women with blonde tresses and the crown of thorns was as gorgeous as I remembered. The dark-skinned beauty with tight curly hair and crown of shimmering stars still laid peacefully in her sleep.

Why hadn’t it worked?

“Maybe...” Tobias began, but he never finished his sentence.

Xandra stood in front of us smirking. Her sun-kissed hair, cocoa colored lips, and honey brown eyes no longer held us in a trance as they once had done. Her eyes were pools of unrelenting malice. There was no hiding the evil inside of the Priestess.

“You thought it would be that easy, little ones?”

No one dared say a word. In front of us stood a deity who could obliterate us where we stood.

Xandra sauntered towards us, grinning from ear to ear. She closed the gap between us and looked down at me. “What do we have here?” she asked, staring at my pendant.

My hand jumped up to hold the moonstone in its grasp. She couldn’t hurt me as long as I wore it.

She lowered herself so she could stare into my eyes. “Honey, this ratty old thing can’t protect you here. This isn’t the dream world,” she gloated as she pulled it from my neck.

Her body evaporated into a stream of golden smoke and rose into the sky. We stared up at it in shock. A moment later, the smoke shot like an arrow into my chest, and I fell to the ground.

Tobias yelled as he ran for my body and pulled its thrashing form into his arms. My body seized on the ground as I fought Xandra for control, but I was no match for the Priestess inside of me. I fell limp into Tobias’s arms.

My eyes opened and I could still see from within my body, but I wasn’t the one controlling it. I yelled from the cage my consciousness was now locked in, but it was pointless. Xandra had won.

My eyes gazed up at Tobias, who wore a look of pure love and relief. He didn’t know Xandra now controlled me. He pulled us to our feet. His arms still held onto my body.

My lips formed words. “Tobias,” they whispered.

My arms moved to encircle his neck as my lips pressed against his. His shock lasted a second before he returned the kiss fervently. A moment later, he pushed me away. “You aren’t her,” he gasped.

My lips curved into a devilish smirk. “No, I sure as hell am not.”