Page 3 of Kingdoms of Tides and Twilight

Cressida sneered. She bent over and undid the ankle strap on her ridiculous shoes before launching them towards the tide. Barefoot, she strode back towards Sion, like a panther after its prey. “I no longer care about the Snowden Prince. I’ll watch him die when the time comes and be glad of it. I’ve got my sights set on bigger things now.” She looked over at Renya, a cruel smile forming on her thin lips. Renya was a sacrificial lamb, waiting to be slaughtered. Whatever Cressida was planning, Renya was undoubtedly a big part of it.

“Did you find out why your powers faded?” Sion ventured carefully.

Cressida looked at him with both loathing and desire. It was strange to see the two conflicting emotions cloud the Shadow Queen’s face. “I have yet to find the culprit, but I have my suspicions,” Cressida said, almost as if trying to bait Sion into a confession. He held steady under her intense scrutiny.

“It appears they returned rather quickly,” he said calmly. “So, thank the Fates for that. What are you going to do with the girl?” He nodded towards Renya.

The Shadow Queen sauntered back over to the fleeting shade where Renya sat. She bent down and grabbed Renya’s chin, yanking it up to look in her eyes. Renya tried to wretch away, but Cressida dug her nails deeper into her flesh.

“She’s going to help me change the world.”

Sion raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. The Shadow Queen released Renya and walked back towards the beach, feet sinking into the sand.

Near the shoreline, a spinning funnel appeared, signaling Brandle’s arrival. The cloud spun faster and faster and Renya could see his dark shape taking form. The smoke disbursed and Brandle rushed up to his queen, groveling at once.

“My queen! I’m so glad you made it out of the castle! I—”

Black smokey tendrils reached out from Cressida’s fingers and slowly wrapped around Brandle’s neck until his face was red.

“Your majesty!” he choked, desperately clawing at the insubstantial gray smoke wrapping tighter and tighter.

Renya turned her head, unable to watch. As much as she hated Brandle, the scene before her made her queasy. Suddenly she heard him gasp for breath as Cressida released him. He was rubbing his throat and had fallen to his knees.

“If you ever—ever—think about abandoning your queen again, I will have you killed,” Cressida said, eyes flashing red. “You left me alone in that castle, powerless. You chose to save your own hide. You do it again, and I will obliterate you.”

Brandle crawled towards her on his knees, sand clinging to his trousers. “My merciful queen! Thank you! I will never abandon you again!” He bent down and kissed Cressida’s bare feet, hands grasping her hem. The sight made Renya want to gag.

Cressida snatched her dress away from Brandle, disgusted. “If it weren’t for the fact we share a bloodline, I would have banished you to the human realm a long time ago.”

Brandle stood up and moved to stand next to Sion. Renya recoiled, not wanting to be anywhere near Brandle. For his part, he seemed to ignore her, his brush with Cressida’s malice seeming to diminish his haughty attitude.

“Bring her!” Cressida commanded, walking off the beach and into the tropical forest behind them. Sion grabbed Renya and helped her to her feet. Brandle strutted ahead, trying to stay close to Cressida. Sion hung back with Renya.

“What happened after you left the Sunset Land?” he asked her in a low tone, keeping out of earshot of Brandle and the queen.

“After we left the castle, Grayden, my aunt and I headed back towards the portal I originally came from. The plan was to send me and my aunt back through, and then my aunt was going to destroy the portal behind us. My aunt went through first, leaving me time—giving me time to say goodbye to Grayden.” Renya's voice faltered, her eyes fixed on the ground. When she finally looked up, her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, a muscle twitching in her jaw as she fought to maintain her composure. “And when I went through, the Shadow Queen was already there. She had my aunt bound and then pushed me through this portal. Where are we?”

“We’re on the outskirts of the Tidal Kingdom,” Sion said, holding back a large palm leaf that blocked the path before it hit Renya. The foliage was getting dense and the humidity increasing with every step they took deeper into the jungle. “It’s the only other known portal to the human realm.”

“Do you know what this ritual is?” Renya asked, trying hard to mask her fear.

Sion looked at her with sympathy. “I don’t, I’m afraid. But I’ll do whatever I can to help you, even if it costs me my life. I know what you mean to Grayden. I’ve never seen him quite so desperate as he was in the Sunset Land. I know that’s what he would want from me.”

Renya's throat tightened, a warmth spreading through her chest as she absorbed Sion's words. Her eyes met his, searching for any hint of deception, but found only steadfast determination. As she considered Sion's unwavering commitment, her mind drifted to Grayden. She pictured him in the Snow Lands, surrounded by people like Sion—faces etched with resolve, bodies poised for action at his command. The image of such devotion made her heart swell, reaffirming what she already knew about the man she'd left behind.

They continued their path through the jungle. Dark dirt lined a slightly worn path and Renya saw an enormous locust jump from one branch to the other. She was sweltering in the riding outfit. Renya had been wearing it for days and the leather clung to her legs. Sweat dripped down the small of her back and she longed for a cool shower. She knew there were bigger things to concern herself with, but the heat was making her head feel thick.

Huge roots, purple and orange, sprouted up all over the path, nearly tripping Renya. The jungle floor was hard to maneuver, with the long skirt of her riding outfit catching on branches and fallen logs.

Sion kept behind Renya, playing the part of the dutiful guard for the Shadow Queen. Renya thought about running, but there was nowhere for her to go. She had no idea where the Tidal Kingdom was in reference to the Snow Lands and had no way to travel over any great distance. Renya was trapped. She was so tired of feeling helpless against Brandle’s and Cressida’s magic. Renya wondered if this was how Grayden felt all the time. She understood his desire to restore balance to their world even more. She wanted Grayden to get his magic back and destroy the entire Shadow Realm. She would help him however she could. No more hiding. Renya would be whomever this light bringer was supposed to be.

Just as Renya wondered how much longer they were going to walk, Brandle halted in front of her. Sion reached out and grabbed her arms and held them behind her back. “Sorry,” he whispered, though his touch was gentle.

Directly ahead stood a large megalith. Two stone columns held up a giant rock slab, and underneath it, Renya could see only darkness. She was sure that it was the entrance to a mouth of a cave. Sion guided her just next to the slab and Renya sighed inwardly, glad they didn’t appear to be going into the cave. She had developed a fear of dark spaces after being confined in the nightmare dungeon.

Brandle and Cressida stopped at the very front of the cave and Sion gave Renya a little push forward. Cressida nodded to Brandle, and Renya was bound with the black shadow magic he possessed, hands behind her back. She tried to scream but once again, she was paralyzed. Anger replaced her fear and she felt her whole body trembling with rage against the invisible bonds. Against her will, Renya stood still as stone while Cressida and Brandle lit a fire and started mixing a concoction.

Renya had not been raised to be a helpless damsel in distress. She had fought off a grown man in the human realm and managed to escape from him. She had even killed a tygre in the woods of the Snow Lands. As soon as Renya was able, she would make Cressida pay for the helplessness she made her feel.

---