Return of the Crown by Millie Burns

out to sea. The island
shrank to a speck then winked out disappearing from the
horizon.
    Alone. She felt utterly alone. A little chill
ran across her skin causing the hair on her arms to stand wildly
erect. She hugged herself, sniffling.
    She ran a sleeve across her eyes, dabbing at
the runaway tears. Her parents weren’t dead. Connor would teach her
to manipulate the Light. And, Blade was coming to help her. No, she
was not alone.
    The bright pink sky faded to dusky purple.
Eventually all color dulled into a deepening blue. She relaxed as
the warm tropical air caressed her skin. She lay on her back, head
in her hands, marveling at the heavens above. Stars covered the sky
in a twinkling blanket. Her eyelids grew heavy, and she drifted off
to sleep.
     
    High in a tower at the Castle of Veris, the
Empress Zelera watched the raft journey out to sea. Her fingers
drummed rhythmically against the sides of the scrying bowl, her
nails clicking against the bowl ever faster. Thoughts raced through
her wicked mind. What was the best way to kill her niece?
    She released the bowl and turned to the long
dressing mirror. “Lareina, Bryant, how do you fare this evening?”
She cocked her head as if waiting for a reply.
    “I’m so glad you asked,” she crooned to the
mirror, “I am ever so excited. I will take care of that brat Ravyn
soon. I’m still working out the details.”
    She caressed the frame. “Why do I hate you?
Why do I hate you? You really have to ask that?” She stared in the
depths of the mirror where Lareina and Bryant floated oblivious to
anything or anyone. “There are so many reasons to hate you. Let’s
see, you stole the man I loved away from me.”
    She traced a finger along the image of
Bryant’s cheek. “What’s that, I didn’t love him you say? Well,
that’s true, but I might’ve grown to love him. That’s really a moot
point. I should be the ruler, not you. Because you charmed that oaf
over to you, I lost my right to rule the throne.”
    She glared at the blonde face hovering
beneath the glass, “And I lost my mother because of you. She died
giving birth to you. You took her from me. And father, he never
gave me the time of day after you came along. It was always about
sweet little Lareina. Well, not anymore sister. It’s about me, the
way it always should have been.”
    “Well now, I’d better get back to work. I do
have to give you credit for your last spell, Lareina. I have been
looking for a weak spot all morning, and I can’t find one. You wove
a very tight protective spell. I may not be able to harm her
directly from this distance with my magic, but there’s more than
one way to skin a cat. I just have to figure out the best way.”
    Zelera looked out the window. A soft cloud
glided across the moon’s face. “I could send a storm: waves
crashing, rain splattering, lightning arcing across the skies.” She
sneered at Lareina’s image, then her smile faltered. “You are of
course correct. Storm’s are fickle, and your brat might weather
through it. That elven raft looks sturdy. No, that’s not the way to
take care of this. However, that gives me an idea about the elves.
I could use a few elves around here. They have so many useful
talents; I’ll have to look into acquiring some.” Zelera’s eyes
drifted back to the window and the sea in the distance.
    She smirked, chuckling softly to herself. She
crossed the room to her wardrobe. Grabbing her velvet cloak from
the cabinet, she tossed it around her shoulders. As she headed
toward the door, she stopped short, looking into the mirror once
more. “I’ll say goodbye to Ravyn for you,” she hissed.
    She flung open her doors; the drowsy knights
standing guard clanked to attention. She glared at them as she
swept down the stairs, and her entourage of dark knights clattered
close behind. The servants of the castle scurried away like rats as
she strode through the hallways. The grand front doors slammed wide
open as she headed out the