Queen's Shadow || Kingdom at the End of the World - Book II

[27.2] Reunion

At the edge of a small village, in the early hours of morning, a strange sight took place.

A young girl stood in a courtyard white with frost. She was swaddled in thick layers of fabric, her face half-hidden behind a lumpy scarf. Only her eyes were visible, and they glared most fearsomely at the two men standing at attention in front of her.

Gabriel Todd shifted in place. The contrite expression he wore was skin-deep and in increasing danger of slipping entirely with every moment that passed.

"We really are very sorry," he tried. The words were worn from repeating, and didn't hold much meaning.

There was no noticeable change in the girl's expression or posture. The wind whistled in the silence, as if hissing in mocking laughter.

"The walls can surely be fixed. Only the table is beyond repair, and it will hardly take long to fashion a new one," Gabriel coaxed.

Sofia's eyes narrowed further. She raised her hand and pointed at something behind the two men. Gabriel followed her line of sight to a large, old barn at the edge of the property.

"You are not serious," he said.

The girl strode away without another glance at the bewildered demon. The door to the Korral household slammed shut behind her, the lock turning with finality.

Iavor laughed quietly. Gabriel spared a glare for his companion, then glanced at a sky rapidly turning dark with rain. "I hope you find the situation as amusing when we are forced to share quarters with wet rats," he said.

Iavor only smiled. Gabriel did not bother with the man, hurrying to the relative shelter of the barn as the first splash of rain hit his cheek. The vampire followed at a more sedate pace.

They made it inside just before the skies truly opened. Sheets of frozen rain fell like broken glass to the sound of distant thunder, the flashes of pale light painting strange visions in the clouds.

"An unpleasant morning," Iavor said.

Gabriel hummed in agreement. There were no windows, but the barn's doors were open. The world beyond was smudged beyond recognition.

"How is your body?" Iavor asked.

The question was awkward, as most of Iavor's attempts at care tended to be. Gabriel smiled faintly.

"Well enough," he replied.

Iavor watched him with a slight frown. It was unusual for Gabriel to speak so plainly, or abstain from making light of Iavor when given half the chance. Gabriel pretended not to notice his friend's concern. He was wound so tight his very skin sat wrong.

It had been days since Gabriel last felt Dimitri's pain.

Iavor turned his eyes to the storm raging outside. "Something is wrong with this place," he said idly.

"There was a Guardian in residence not too long ago," Gabriel told him.

The Kingdom of Samodevia was a strange land. Its birth was unknown, appearing above Hel like a summer cloud. Hel's Royal Records only spoke of a time before Samodevia, and a time after. There was nothing in between.

Whatever the Kingdom's origin, there was no question that its lands held power and gave life to powerful things. However, Samodevia's magic did not exist in natural balance. It flowed through the land like thread through a loom, and would at times grow tangled. Disasters would inevitably follow.

Guardians settled roots in places prone to such misfortune. That Elsendorf ranked among them would surprise anyone who had visited the quiet village prior to Mrs. Hendricks' death, and no one who happened upon it at present.