Page 7 of Realms of Shadow and Sun

But how could she break the blood promise? There had to be a way. She reached for her magic, feeling it hum beneath her skin, but as soon as she tried to draw it forth, she instinctively pulled back. She still had no real idea how to use it, let alone how to break a spell. And was it truly her magic? Or was it Cressida's, as the Shadow Queen claimed?

Her temple throbbed as a migraine began to form. Though she had done little but cry and stare out the window since being forced into this room, Renya felt utterly exhausted. Finally giving in to her body's demands, she crawled into the bed fully clothed and waited for sleep to claim her.

When Renya next opened her eyes, pale morning light was filtering through the windows. The shadows persisted, as they seemed to do throughout the day in this realm, but the chorus of chirping birds told her she had slept through the night. Taking a deep breath, she immediately reached out for Grayden through their bond. After several failed attempts, she gave up, fighting back tears. She told herself it was only the distance preventing her from feeling him, but the doubt gnawed at her relentlessly.

Before she could drag herself out of bed, a quiet knock sounded at the door. Margot entered, carrying another tray and a gown draped over her arm.

Determined to make a connection, Renya tried once more to engage the servant in conversation as Margot arranged her breakfast tray on the vanity. “Tell me about yourself, Margot.”

Margot kept her eyes lowered and remained silent. Renya sighed, moving to examine the tray. Unlike yesterday's meal, it held only a teapot and teacup.

As Margot began making the bed, smoothing the sheets and fluffing the pillows, she suddenly straightened, her demeanor shifting. “I have a son,” she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. “He is a soldier for this realm. He was there that night.”

Renya looked at her, perplexed. “What night?”

Margot's eyes met Renya's, a mixture of sympathy and fear in their depths. “When you were taken to the Sunset Lands by Brandle. He saw how much Prince Snowden loves you, how hard he fought for you.” She paused, glancing nervously at the door before continuing. “He wishes he served another kingdom. But as long as I'm in this palace, he has to be loyal.”

Moved by this unexpected show of empathy, Renya crossed the room to Margot. She clasped the woman's hands in her own, offering a tentative smile. Perhaps she had found an ally in this den of shadows after all.

Renya entered the dining room, her stomach a tight knot of anxiety, her appetite completely nonexistent. Like most of the palace, it was an open-air room, the perpetual gloom of the Shadow Realm seeping in from all sides. Despite its ominous surroundings, the oval-shaped chamber was adorned with ivory pillars and delicate hanging lights, creating an unexpected oasis of beauty amidst Cressida's dark domain. The contrast was jarring, leaving Renya unsettled and wary.

The ivory table at the center of the room gleamed softly, its pale surface a stark contrast to the shadows that seemed to cling to every corner. Delicate white iron chairs surrounded it, their intricate woven patterns reminiscent of frost on a window pane. Margot, a fleeting presence of warmth in this cold place, motioned Renya to a seat at the head of the table before quietly slipping away. Renya felt a pang of loss as she watched her go, suddenly feeling very small and alone in the cavernous space.

Minutes ticked by, each one stretching into an eternity as Renya sat in tense silence. Just as she was gathering the courage to leave and attempt to find her way back to her room, the air in the chamber began to swirl and darken. A funnel cloud of inky blackness materialized, dispersing as quickly as it had formed to reveal Cressida in all her terrifying glory.

The Shadow Queen was garbed in a gown of deep indigo that seemed to absorb what little light there was in the room. Tiny amethysts sparkled along the neckline and waist, catching the dim light and throwing off purple reflections. In place of a crown, she wore a silver band across her forehead, a massive gemstone dangling between her eyebrows like a third eye. As she took her seat opposite Renya, she made a grand show of adjusting her voluminous skirts before fixing her violet gaze on her captive.

Renya met Cressida's glare with one of her own, seething with a potent mixture of fear and fury. The longer she went without sensing Grayden through their bond, the more her anger threatened to consume her. She clenched her fists under the table, nails digging into her palms as she struggled to maintain her composure.

Cressida finally broke the oppressive silence, her voice dripping with disdain. “Since you've stolen my magic, and I'm no longer able to get it back, I'm going to train you to be my weapon.”

“It's my magic,” Renya spat back, her voice trembling with barely contained rage. “It's always been mine.” She twisted her engagement ring nervously as she spoke, before quickly hiding her hands beneath the table to conceal the precious token.

Cressida's eyes narrowed, her gaze raking over Renya's features as if seeing her for the first time. Renya found herself doing the same, desperately searching for any hint of a familial connection, any trait that might lend credence to Cressida's outrageous claim. But try as she might, she could detect no similarities. Where the Shadow Queen was all darkness and malevolence, Renya was light and determination. They were as different as night and day, oil and water—destined never to mix.

“I'm a descendant of the Shadow Realm,” Cressida continued, her voice taking on a lecturing tone that made Renya's skin crawl, “but I was also born with the powers of the sun. Light and dark, I controlled them both. But with your birth, I lost the powers of the sun, and they passed to you.”

Renya felt as if the floor had dropped out from beneath her. Her powers were indeed golden and warm, reminiscent of the sun itself. She remembered the first time she had reached out to Grayden with her magic, the way heat had flushed his handsome face. But surely that was just a coincidence? She was born of the Sun Realm, after all...wasn't she?

Shaking her head to clear the doubts threatening to take root, Renya declared, “You aren't my mother.” The words came out more uncertain than she had intended, and she silently cursed herself for the weakness in her voice.

Cressida let out a derisive snort, her lips curling into a cruel smirk. “I wish it wasn't true either. I wanted a strong, competent heir. Not some weak girl fawning over a hunk of meat like a vapid idiot.”

The insult struck Renya like a physical blow, her face burning with a mixture of shame and rage. “You're just jealous,” she retorted, her voice rising, “that Grayden wanted me, not some old hag.”

In an instant, Cressida was on her feet, moving with inhuman speed to Renya's side. Before Renya could react, the Shadow Queen's hand shot out, fingers like iron as they clamped around Renya's wrist. With a vicious twist, Cressida wrenched the snowflake ring from Renya's finger.

“No!” Renya cried, her heart plummeting as she realized what was happening.

But it was too late. Cressida's eyes glowed with malicious triumph as she held the ring aloft, allowing the precious stones to catch the light one last time. Then, with a casual flick of her wrist, she tossed it over the edge of the cliff and into the dark forest far below.

A strangled sob escaped Renya's throat as she bolted to the side of the room. She leaned precariously over the edge, her eyes frantically scanning the endless canopy of trees below, desperately searching for any glint of silver among the sea of dark leaves. But it was futile. The ring—her last tangible connection to Grayden—was gone, swallowed by the shadows.

As the full weight of her loss crashed down upon her, Renya sank to the cold stone floor, her body wracked with heaving sobs. She curled in on herself, arms wrapped tightly around her knees as if she could somehow hold herself together through sheer force of will.

“See?” Cressida's voice cut through Renya's grief like a knife. “Weak and pathetic.”

Something inside Renya snapped at those words. In an instant, her anguish transmuted into white-hot rage. She surged to her feet, her entire body trembling with fury as she reached deep within herself, calling forth her magic. Golden beams of light burst from her outstretched hands, lancing towards Cressida with lethal intent.

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