Crowned (Beholder #4)(12)
I pursed my lips. “Not too bad.”
Rowan gave me a lopsided smile. “Your turn.”
Now, I knew precisely the spell to cast. Enough Necromancer power had now pooled in my left palm. Releasing it, I spoke the words of my own spell.
Life from death
Lodger from host
Summon jungle spirits
Fill this home with ghosts
A small cloud of blue smoke appeared on the ground. Within this indigo haze, a pack of blue monkey ghosts appeared. No less than fifty of them took to scaling Rowan’s cloud-tree while chattering to each other and swinging from the branches. The crowd let out a satisfying chorus of gasps.
Rowan’s brows lifted. “Well done.”
“Thank you.” I snapped my fingers, making my ghost monkeys turn silent. “We’re all ready for your speech now.”
“Sure you don’t want to join in?” Rowan’s face said he already knew the answer to this question. Once I officially became Genesis Regina, I’d have to give speeches at major occasions. Public speaking wasn’t my favorite pastime, which was yet another reason not to rush into being queen.
I winked. “Positive.”
“In that case...” Rowan then raised his arms once more. “My people.” The silence once again became absolute. “Tonight, Elea and I celebrate the Festival of Monkeys. This is the finest celebration of the year!”
The crowd erupted in a deafening cheer. Every week, Rowan announced another festival the greatest of the year without cracking a smile. How he managed it was quite a mystery. But he did. Every time.
Rowan waved his arms, and the mass of people became silence once more. “Tonight, we celebrate our special role as Casters. We call upon magick to build our world, tap into life, and keep each other strong. At the festival of Mlinzi and Walinzi, we ask these gods to answer our summons to enhance something in our lives. Strong individuals make for a healthy community. Mlinzi and Walinzi have always been drawn to our unique kind of power. Tonight, at the appearance of the Martyr’s Comet, the veil between our worlds is at its thinnest. Now let us call out our desires for our homes, families, and people. Let your voices be heard!”
From every direction, Casters begin to call out requests.
“My son is a Changed One. He’s missing. Help us find him.”
“Take the pain from my back.”
“All I need is a small bag of gold.”
“My wife and I hope for a baby.”
Beside me, Rowan cupped his hand by his mouth. “I seek the Sword of Theodora.”
A deep groaning sounded, the unique crash of stone against stone. Orange light glittered over the carvings on the mountainside. Magick was being cast, and since it was orange? This wasn’t like anything we had in this realm. The carvings of Mlinzi and Walinzi began to move as if alive. No question about it: Mlinzi and Walinzi had cast a spell on their carved counterparts. These living images began to scan the crowd.
Rowan grinned. “That’s a good sign,” he said to me. “It means they will grant one wish this year. According to the archives, the carvings don’t always start to move.” He took in a deep breath and called in a louder voice. “I seek the Sword of Theodora.”
I took up the same cry. “Help us find the Sword of Theodora!” As I called out the words, memories flooded my mind. First, I pictured the dolly-mech of the Not-Elea. After that, I recalled my gateway visions of the Sire and Lady. The question tumbled from my lips on a whisper. “And how do we use hybrid magick to heal the gateways?”
At that moment, the monkey carvings stilled. Bit by bit, their gazes shifted until both of them turned in my direction, their eyes glowing with orange light. The crowd fell silent once more.
The representations of Mlinzi and Walinzi began to speak. Their voices—one male and one female—boomed through the deepening night. “Once every two millennia, we hear the pleas of the Caster people. At these great occasions, one request may be granted. This time it shall be you, Elea of Braddock. Viktor will raise an army of Changed Ones. You must stop him with the Sword of Theodora.”
The crowd gasped. All of a sudden, thousands of eyes were locked on me, expressions of terror brightening their faces. Viktor had taken the strongest Caster mages and turned them into combinations of human and animal. Changed Ones. Although we’d banished Viktor into exile, the Casters still feared him stealing away their families. Plus, more and more villages of Changed Ones had gone missing.
In other words, while I was certainly glad that Mlinzi and Walinzi had granted my wish, I certainly did not appreciate the fact that they’d discussed Viktor and his army with the general populace. Rowan and I had been trying to keep our efforts to defeat Viktor quiet for now. No one had known he would return.
Guess that was over now. By dawn, every Caster on the continent would be in a panic over Viktor’s approaching army.
I steeled my resolve. Rowan and I could calm the Casters. What we needed was that damnable Sword.
A series of ear-splitting cracks sounded. The base of the cliff wall split. Orange light glistened around the new seam. A thin opening appeared in the cliff base, a passage leading into the darkness beyond.
“Enter our gateway,” said Mlinzi and Walinzi. “Your questions will be answered.”
I laced my fingers with Rowan’s. His hands felt warm and calloused. As a spy, Rowan had entered many dangerous situations like this one. And as my mate, it helped to simply have his love and strength close by.