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ANTON
Anton stared at the gray, deer-like creature for a moment too long before it dawned on him that the animal was, in fact, Maryska. On her head rested the same silver crown he’d previously seen, along with the matching one around her front leg.
Daryna ground her jaw, a pulse throbbing along the vein at her neck. She didn’t hesitate—she tacitly lunged for the creature.
Maryska’s head darted out of the way right before Daryna’s blade decapitated her. The sword hit the bed with a low thud, but Daryna skillfully brought it up again, thrusting the weapon with a powerful blow through the crowned leg, slicing it off.
The creature wailed with a deafening screech. Daryna came up again with her weapon, but Maryska was too quick, flicking her unhurt leg forward, flinging her supposed sister back. A loud crack sounded as Daryna’s body struck the floor.
Anton lunged forward and scooped up the bleeding leg and tossed it to Nahli, who caught it with one hand. She ripped off the crown from the appendage and practically slammed it down on Roka’s furry head.
The screeching wail from Maryska turned murderous, becoming more human. Anton held his breath when hands and feet formed where hooves had been, the head shrinking and flattening as it curved into Maryska’s face. The fur vanished, replaced by a silken dress, but the obsidian antlers remained.
Anton’s grip was so tight on the handle of his dagger, he feared he would crush it as he prepared to aim for her heart. The opportunity appeared, and he blew out his breath as he hurled the weapon as hard as he could, knowing it would aim true. But Maryska raised a hand and the blade flicked to the left, clattering when it landed on the stone floor.
The sides of Anton’s head throbbed in agony, as though a cacophony of tiny fingers or bird beaks were poking and pecking inside his skull. He pressed his hands to his temples as images came to him one by one. His father howled in misery, holding up his handless arms, blood pouring from the stumps, and blaming Anton. Then his mother swung from a noose, the rope creaking, while she glared down at Anton, telling him it was all his fault for being born. Nahli ran at him and shoved his chest, spatting, “Whore. Whore. Whore. That’s all you will ever be.”
As though the images had never come, the torment ended. Anton drank deep breaths in, feeding his lungs as much as he could. He had ended up curled on his side with Nahli’s hand resting on his back.
“Damn,” he gasped, patting beside him for the dagger, his eyes seeking Roka.
For a moment, when his fingertips brushed the blade, he almost threw it at the man standing a few paces away. His skin was the color of mahogany, and dark, long braids cascaded down his back. He was wearing no shirt, and a pair of brown trousers. What stopped him from ending the man was the tail hanging behind him.
Roka.
Daryna still lay on the floor, clutching her head, tears spilling down her cheeks. Anton wiped his own away. Roka’s crown sat upon his head, larger than it was when Nahli had placed it there.
Roka’s right hand was held high, firmly in place, same as Maryska was doing, neither of them moving. Maryska wasn’t missing one of her arms as expected, both were there.
“How was your rest, my sweetest Roka?” Maryska purred. “I see you found your way out from the dirt grave I buried you in, you pathetic rodent.”
Her gaze didn’t waver once from Roka’s, as if he was frozen ice that she yearned to chip away. Roka’s jaw remained clenched so tightly, it was quite possible at least a few of his teeth would crack.
“I did,” Roka seethed. “Not without your help, of course. By bringing Anton into the Bone Valley, a glorious ripple led from one thing to another, leading his queen, Nahli, to uncover me.”
If the situation wasn’t so dire, Anton would have chuckled from the blow.
Maryska’s stare found Nahli, a hard line appearing in between her brows, her lips pulling downward. “It can’t be possible that he found you after I broke you to pieces.” She tightened her hand into a fist and flexed her fingers at Nahli. Nothing.
Anton wanted to toss his last dagger at her, but he needed to save it after what Maryska had done to his last one. He just needed to draw closer.
“I did.” Anton took a step forward, his lips turning up at the corners. “Did you really think I couldn’t?” He made it seem as if the task had been too easy, even though it was one of the greatest challenges he’d encountered.
“Maryska, we are done,” Roka barked, reaching out his left hand while the other still held its place. “Give me back the crown, so we can be finished here. Otherwise, we can stand like this for an eternity, if you prefer.”
Her smile menacing, Maryska twisted her arm in the air, then let out a cry of frustration.
“You are not going to whirl yourself away, either.”
In the palm of his hand behind his back, a bright white glow appeared. He flung the sphere at Maryska, and she easily flicked it toward the ceiling. It burst into tiny sparks that rained down upon them, slowly becoming ashes, before vanishing.
With a roaring growl, Daryna was off the stone floor, running toward Maryska. Roka held up his other hand, freezing her into place.
“Not yet.” His whisper was only meant for Daryna, but Anton was close enough to hear it, too.
Daryna glowered at the true king, not lifting her glare for a moment as her nostrils flared. That look, more than anything else, told Anton she wanted Maryska badly enough that she would split apart Roka if need be.
“Hello, baby sister.” Maryska’s gaze seemed to sing as it danced toward Daryna. “I suppose you must know that you’re Kezia, yet you still don’t remember your past, do you? I did leave a small, although permanent, mark on your leg to slow you down, wouldn’t you say?”
Daryna appeared taken aback, but only for a moment. Her chest heaved as she focused on Maryska, growing more murderous with each passing breath.
Maryska let out a cackle, one of a true witch. “As for my disguise, that piece of you helped me hold onto your appearance when I needed it. Then I thought it was absolutely amusing how we found ourselves in the same village, where we met once again. When I stumbled upon a witch named Daryna to help me, what a coincidence it was to discover that she was my long-lost sister, Kezia. And when I told you a false story and showed you fake scars, you were oh so willing to sell me the tea that brought my sweetest Anton to his new home. I should be thanking you for what I’ve been given. Although Roka was an exquisite lover, he was no Anton. And Anton will enjoy his stay here.”
Nausea bubbled up in Anton’s stomach and lodged into his throat. He swallowed past the lump, pushing it away. While luck hadn’t always been on his side, there had been glimmers of fortune through the obstacles he’d faced. When looking at Maryska, he couldn’t imagine having to be trapped with her for eternity.
Maryska released an ear-piercing whistle and then shouted, “Callie, Neru!”
From right outside the room, something stirred to life. Roka didn’t bat an eyelash as his gaze remained trained on Maryska, but Anton did. Over his shoulder and out the door, the six creatures that were in a permanent bowing position slowly rose from the floor and hobbled toward the bedroom.
Four of the creatures were human, all their faces appearing similar with torn-out eyes, missing noses, and ripped off lips displaying teeth, making them all smiles. They reminded Anton of the skeleton he’d been.
The other two were more beastly. One was mostly ape attached to a horse’s head, its bloody muscle leaking fluid onto the floor. The next was part ram and possibly dog with saggy skin that made a strange flapping sound as it took steps.
Anton couldn’t just stand there, so he moved toward the door at the same time Nahli did.
“Do not go out there. Pav has it handled,” Roka yelled. “Pav! Now!”
If Roka wasn’t holding his hand up and keeping Maryska away, Anton would have punched the king in his face.
As soon as Roka called Pav’s name, he burst through the throne room door, swinging his sword like a god. The creature with the ram head and saggy skin snapped its teeth viciously at Pav. In answer, his sword sliced through the neck before it could bare its teeth again.
Then Pav’s blade thrust into the heart of another, cutting clean across two other necks and puncturing two more chests, until they were all slumped on the ground. Only Pav remained standing, sprayed with blood on top of the mud already caked onto his body.
As Anton peered down, the creatures weren’t dead, but wriggling.
Roka’s fiery gaze met Anton’s. “Anton, Nahli, Kezia.” He paused, chest rising, and whispered, “Now.”
Anton had no idea what Roka meant by “now.” There had been no chat about any kind of plan beforehand. But Maryska’s hard glare was focused outside the door as she still held her hand up toward Roka.
She was too focused on trying to rouse the dead, so Anton sprung forward with everything he had, throwing the dagger right at the center of where her heart—if she even had one—would be. Again, she flicked his weapon to the side, but it still caught her off guard.
Anton didn’t stop this time, he continued toward her and leapt forward to knock her to the floor. Inches from her, his body came to a stop, as if he’d hit a wall. His heart felt aflame when a sharp ache lit up inside his chest, as though she was squeezing the blood and essence out from the organ. Nahli dodged around him and swung her sword at Maryska’s shoulder. It barely broke the flesh before Nahli’s knees buckled and she collapsed to the floor, clenching her stomach.
The pressure on Anton’s chest lifted, and the world around him spun.
Through his peripheral, Daryna took the opportunity to attack her sister. Maryska’s palms pushed forward, ready to pulse out magic.
A crow-colored light shot out from Roka’s hands and shoved Maryska’s arms to the side. Daryna’s blade moved through the air, and it slammed with perfect strength, decapitating Maryska.
The head made a sickening thump as it hit the stone floor, blood pooling around it. Her body didn’t slump to the floor though, instead it was already twisting and moving to reunite the head with her neck. Anton couldn’t let that happen. He’d never felt as brave before as he did right then. He rushed to the floor and held onto the antler of the head as he tore off the crown, not pausing as he threw the shining silver to Nahli.
Nahli released the headpiece in Roka’s direction. He caught it, his eyes burning silver, and a cold wind stirred around the room. Anton recognized it, the same one that had followed him around in Kedaf. It had always been Maryska, even with the wind.
Jaw clenched, protectively holding the crown, Roka snapped his head to the side. Maryska’s skin and everything beneath disappeared, except for her bones. He didn’t stop there—he cocked his head again, and her remains were no longer in the room.
Anton’s breath came out deep and heavy, his heart palpitating against his sternum. Everyone was in the room except for his brother. He raced to the door, just as Pav came toward him, sword dripping blood.
Anton pulled his little brother in for a tight hug, relief spreading through him. “You scared me out there.”
“You know I’m one of the best.” Pav grinned. “Could you really doubt my skill?”
Even as Pav boasted, more creatures lunged forward to attack from the shadows, but Roka brushed past them, dark light shooting from his fingertips, and the skin vanished from the creatures before their bones themselves disappeared.
The crown that had been on Maryska’s head was clenched in Roka’s left hand. Anton noticed the king’s fingers fumbling as his gaze found Daryna.
She hadn’t moved from the spot where she’d sliced off her sister’s head. The only reason Anton knew Daryna was still alive was because of the rise and fall of her chest. Her gaze finally swept across the room, landing on the crown in Roka’s hand. The piece that should have belonged to Daryna, if Maryska hadn’t done all of this.
When Daryna’s eyes lifted to Roka’s face, Anton could see something in her gaze for a moment that didn’t resemble hate, but relief, love. But then her face hardened, and she jerked her head away from him.
“What do we do now?” Nahli asked.
Her fingers brushed Anton’s, catching him by surprise. He interlaced them and gave her hand a gentle squeeze, filled with hope.
Roka’s gaze fell to their joined hands, then to Daryna, and back to their interwoven fingers. “I am ... sorry.” His tone was sullen.
“What did you do now, Roka?” Daryna marched toward him, anger radiating off her.
Pav stood watching with wide eyes.
“Anton.” Roka ignored Daryna. “I will be sending you back.”
“To the Bone Valley?” Nahli’s voice rose an octave.
“No, back to Kedaf.”
Anton’s brows lowered. “I don’t understand.” He remembered the poison, his body dying.
“You’re not dead. We can’t kill mortals and bring them here.” Roka’s eyes shifted to Daryna. “She knows this. You would have had to end your life of your own accord.”
“But I gave and sold Maryska the tea,” Daryna said, taken aback.
Roka’s gaze latched onto hers, not releasing. “You did, but it was still under Maryska’s order. She was the one who gave him the tea, which he unknowingly drank with the poison inside. He would have had to be aware of the poison in there and choose to drink it.”
“You couldn’t have told me this earlier?” Anton could barely grasp what was happening. So he wasn’t dead?
“I didn’t know the entirety of her memories until her crown was in my hand.”
Anton didn’t miss Daryna’s jaw grinding back and forth when he’d said the words “her crown.” Confusion and relief bloomed inside his chest until Nahli removed her hand from his.
“And Nahli?” Anton asked, believing she would be able to come home, too.
Roka’s head drooped, the way it had as a meerkat. “I really am sorry to you both, but Nahli must remain here. She was killed by another human who was not Maryska.”
Daryna moved forward, shaking her head, cheeks growing crimson. “No, it was a ripple effect because of the things Maryska had done. You can send her home too.”
Roka ran his hands over his thick braids, chewing on his lip. “I’m sorry, Kezia. Maryska as a human cut off your leg and sent you away, before she came to Torlarah.”
Anton’s chest tightened. He wanted to see his siblings again, but he couldn’t leave Nahli down here alone. Pav nodded in understanding as Anton searched his brother’s face.
“What if I stay here with her?” Anton asked.
“You would have to still return. And if you want to come back, you will have to die up there,” Roka said.
The thought was already crossing his mind, but words died in his throat as Roka turned to Pav and asked, “Where is Anton’s body?”
“Buried.”
“Make sure you dig it up, or he will suffocate.”
“No, Roka,” Daryna interrupted, lips in a tight line. “You claim to have all this power, but you can’t give Nahli her life back? If you can’t do this, then you really are a bastard.”
“If I could reverse time, believe me, that is the first thing I would do.” Roka reached for Daryna’s hand, and she yanked it away before he could grasp it.
She spat on the floor by her feet. “I want nothing to do with you. If you so much as try to touch me, I’ll cut off your hand.”
Daryna turned to Nahli. “I really am sorry for what happened to you, and I wish there was more that I could do.” She looked back to Roka, tears springing to her eyes. “From the moment I sliced off Maryska’s head, I-I remembered everything. And I can’t be around you any longer.”
Snatching Anton’s dagger from the floor, she pressed the blade against her throat, creating a red incision. Anton watched in horror as her body wilted to the floor. Roka lunged forward and would have caught her, but her body was no longer in the room.
Pav trembled, jaw set, fists clenched, angrier than Anton had ever seen him. His brother pushed Roka away from the floor. “Where is she?”
Roka shook his head in frustration. “Back at her cottage.”
As quickly as Pav’s emotions came, they left, his shoulders relaxing. He must have believed she had really died. “I think you have a lot more than apologizing to do, but perhaps there is a way.”
Anton didn’t believe that Daryna would be forgiving Roka anytime soon. She wasn’t like Pav.
“I do. The first thing I am going to do is start here.” Anton noticed Roka’s tail swishing side to side like a ticking clock. It was so very different seeing him this way. “You will all need to hold on to me. I am going to make it so we do not have to walk.”
Nahli, Pav, and Anton placed their palms to Roka’s back. Before Anton could even blink, they were all standing back inside the Bone Valley.
