The Bloodstone Prophecy - Book 2 (complete)

Chapter 11 - The Girl Who Saw

Soundtrack for this chapter is "Rain" by Brian Crain. Hey, that rhymed :). Enjoy.

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The queen sat in a black throne hewn from the cave wall. The throne was carved with an intricate mass of creatures, here the head of a monster, there the writhing bodies of sirens, and there the massive bodies of beasts. She wore a simple black robe with hair brushed straight and her face bare of makeup. It had been a long time since she had worn such simple peasant garb.

This was one of the first rooms she had hollowed out when she took sanctuary in the cave. Two large jungle cats made of shadow lounged on the floor on either side of the throne. Stepping down two steps from the throne was a large rug decorated with gold medallions. The queen recalled weaving each golden strand in her mind and imagining it into the space. If only she had possessed the ability to do so while her mother still lived. Her mother would have made a fortune from the rugs she now had the ability to create. Her fist clenched as she thought of her mother's face, still in death. Rugs didn't matter anymore.

She eased her hand and stroked the head of one of the oversized jungle cats. Yes, these magnificent beasts were far more interesting to work with.

Brilliantly lit torches were tucked inside the curved insets which lined the cave walls. The flames hissed and sparked. To her right, on an pedestal shaped like a lotus leaf, lay the Ram's horn crown she had been led to at the Temple of Siwa. She removed one glove and brushed her fingertips lightly over the horn's coil. She felt the energy crackling within. A memory flashed into her mind of the jar with the roaring lion. But with it came also the memory of her cousin Asim, of his face frozen in an inhuman scream. Dead, because of her.

The queen withdrew her hand. No, it hadn't been her fault. She had been forced to do it. But this did pose a dilemma. The work was progressing nicely. The slaves had found most of the pieces she needed. It was only a matter of time until the rest was discovered. By then, she would need to harness the power of the helmet if her plan was to work.

She remembered what it felt like to be directly linked to the voice. How refreshing it was to cease the straining, the searching, the guessing, to hear the voice clearly, and with no mistake, know how to advance.

But in the vision had also come a warning. The power that had enabled Alexander had also corrupted him. She had seen him pay a steep price by wearing the helmet. The invincibility in battle had come at a cost. She had seen the pain that filled his nights. The price of the gift had been madness, and that madness had taken his life. It would be wise to be wary.

Along one side of the room, a glass aquarium stretched across the wall. It was filled with a variety of shadow creatures, starfish that clung to the glass, thin striped fish, crabs, electric eels, snails, seahorses and abnormally large angel fish. The Shadow Queen mentally locked onto one of the angel fish, holding it stationary in the water. She felt the fish trying to squirm in her mind, and she increased her concentration until it stopped moving entirely. Lifting the fish in the air with her mind, she transported it until it hovered about 10 feet in front of her.

She focused on the fish, spinning and molding the shape like a potter with clay. With each revolution, the creature's features became less and less recognizable, until the fish was nothing more than a spinning ball of shadow. She slowed the spinning down and mentally dug deep in the ball, pulling out a thin strand of shadow. One leg, then another, then another. As she was pulling out the sixth leg, a sharp knock came at the door and broke her concentration. The half-formed spider fell to the floor and scuttled to the corner, dragging the unformed portion of its body behind it.

"Enter!" the queen commanded as she slid her glove back on.

A guard entered.

"I have brought the prisoner as you requested," he said. The Shadow Queen nodded. The guard left the throne room, then brought in a young woman with long black hair that curled down her back. She wore a simple green dress. The Shadow Queen motioned for the guard to leave. When they were alone, the Queen beckoned for the girl to come closer.