Princess of Death (Three Provinces Book 1) (12 page)

“Puabi, you can see him? Can you talk to him too?” I asked.

Yes, he’s kind of out of it.

“Tell him to hold on. You’ll need to stay here and keep an eye on things.”

Well of course, no one else is as qualified to take care of Nam.
I felt more than saw her leave the area.

Looking down at Lahar I gazed into his solemn eyes, “you have to stay here too. Protect everyone till I come back, okay?” I watched with an ache in my chest as he followed everyone inside, leaving me alone on the path. I made my way to the front of the estate; I didn’t want to enter the shadows with the groundskeepers around.

Putting my hands out in front of me, I summoned shadows. Red and black light spilled out around me, whipping my hair away from my back, trying to pull it from under my crown, wind plastered my skirts to my legs as icy cold crawled up from the ground and touched me, almost intimately. My eyesight dimmed and when it came back into focus everything around me was black, the kind of black that is alive and you just know, no light will ever penetrate.

I raised my hand and demanded illumination, the same red glow I had used what were only days before appeared, eager to please.

“Light my path to Bet Pagri.”

Seeing something in my peripheral vision I threw out my other hand.

“Freeze,” lifting my voice I yelled into the darkness, a darkness that was suddenly lit by a dozen eyes, glittering at me, like stars with pupils.

“I am Princess Ereshkigal, death and destruction
follows in my wake. I seek safe passage through the shadows. Do not tempt me, I will have no problem destroying anything that comes too close, and I know how to make a mean Shade Cape.” What was watching me slithered back into the dark. Anyone who ever tells you shadows aren’t alive is lying through their teeth. Shades make up shadows; they just can’t touch you in the real world.

The Shades knew me; a few years back
Nam and I had been attacked by a small group. You do not want to know how we slaughtered them. Needless to say there was a corner of the Castle Cemetery never in shadow and I had a cape at the back of my closet I was saving for a rainy day when I wanted to be invisible without the trouble of actually using magic. Unfortunately a cape like that only worked once.

I began to move; Shadow walking is not like normal walking, you are literally jumping from shadow to shadow. I could go to any shadow any place, anywhere and what would have taken days took about an hour. I reached Bet Pagri, but could not get inside the gates, they must have wards.

I parted the darkness around me like water and stepped out into the star light. I shivered a little, shaking off the gloom of the Shadow Lands and made my way to the gate.

Chapter 12

“Who goes there?!”

I lifted my head to the guard who was patrolling. Bet Pagri was surrounded by huge stone walls, twenty feet high, I was standing in front of the gate, massive, black and made of iron, with spikes at the top, quite vicious, I liked it.

“I need to speak to Prince Nergal,” I called back. He was fairly high above me in the gate keepers’ tower. He would be able to see far and wide and probably had control of opening the doors to visitors.

“And you would be?” There was a little humor in his voice.

“Princess Ereshkigal.”

“Right,” he chortled, then he disappeared. I waited, impatiently for a few moments.  I heard an odd clanking noise and the gate opened a bit, enough to let one person walk out.

“Ekur!” I exclaimed running to greet him. He looked surprised, but hugged me back.

“Princess, when the guard came, Nergal and I couldn’t believe it. He sent me to make sure it was true.” He stood away from me and frowned, “I do not mean to insult, but you look horrible.”

I blushed a little, I had been in my clothes since the party, at least six hours. As my mind took in this news, I embarrassed myself further by yawning.

“I have been busy. I need your help. Nam has been poisoned by a Knife Shrub planted on my property. I have no healer,” I was babbling.

Ekur grabbed my hand and began to pull me inside, hurriedly. I barely had time to look around. Bet Pagri looked like a huge rambling mismatched castle, beautiful. I saw a lot of black and orange, the main décor consisted of bats, moths, ivy, and hounds. We wove through cobblestone paths lined with plants and I remembered I had brought
Nergal a gift, but it was with the Adureeds.

Ducking through an arched entryway we went up some stairs and came into a large room. There was a huge fire place and several settees, lounging on one was Nergal. He came to attention seeing me and was by my side in seconds, grabbing me from Ekur.

“Ereshkigal, what is wrong, why are you here? Where is your entourage?” His questions were fired off.

“Namtar has been poisoned.” I could barely say the words again, I was suddenly so tired, I sagged in his arms, he quickly picked me up and cuddled me to his chest. He sat down, holding me to him.

He felt so good, warm and solid; it was nice to be off my feet for a few minutes to feel like someone else could take the weight, if only for the moment.

“Can you help?” I asked, arms going around his waist, I glanced up at his handsome face. He looked so serious.

“Yes, best beloved one. What kind of poison?” But he wasn’t looking at me as he answered but at Ekur.  Ekur looked a little nervous and I could not figure out why, it was MY best friend dying not theirs.

“Knife Shrub.” These words seemed to be something offensive to Nergal because when Ekur said it I almost got dropped as he stood. I think he realized he was still holding me only a few seconds before because he easily slid me to the left so I was sitting on the crushed velvet cushion, instead of the cold floor.

“Knife Shrub?” Nergal rubbed his forehead, “did she really think….” He looked up, eyes furious. “Ekur, fetch Lilu.”

“Who is Lilu?” I was so confused; Ekur had left the room in a hurry, “Nergal what is going on?”

“I had wondered,” he sat down next to me, holding my hands, eyes staring into mine, “that is, I think I know who was giving you such problems on your journey here and I am sorry.” He kissed my hand and then leaned in to kiss my brow. He smelled just like I remembered.

“This is not how I imagined I would see you next,” he smiled.

“Not how I thought it would be either. Nergal what’s going on?”  I didn’t like that I was asking this question, again.

“You will be answered, but please just sit and be quiet until everything is over.” He got up and faced the door, his hearing better than mine, several seconds later Ekur walked through with an Alu female.

I had a moment to look at her before all hell broke loose. She was smaller than Nergal but still taller than me, her skin was pale blue, her hair long and stick thin, hanging down her back. She had blue flame eyes and was quite beautiful, well she would have been if she didn’t look crazy and pissed off.

When she saw me it was like someone stuck her with a knife; her mouth fell open, then she screeched and launched herself at me. Nergal caught her; she didn’t even manage to take two steps. He passed Lilu to Ekur who held her in place as she struggled to get to me. Standing, I just stared at her, what was her problem? I didn’t even know this Alu.

Her black wings were tight against her body, in comfort I guess, and she was in a skin tight black dress that hugged her form perfectly.

“Lilu, behave yourself,” Nergal’s voice was quiet and sounded a little sad.

“What is she doing here?” She hissed the question, her eyes never leaving me.

“She has come to request aid. It seems her best friend has a bad bout of Knife Shrub poisoning.” Nergal definitely seemed to know something I didn’t.

She seemed to smirk and calm down, but continued to glare at me.

“How I wonder did Knife Shrubs show on her grounds? I know for a fact the Groundskeeper delivered here two days ago the only three found there to begin with.”

At his statement what was going on set in, hardcore. This Alu bitch was responsible for Nam being so sick?

“It was you? You planted those horrible things at my home?” I advanced towards her, my magic drawing around me. I really looked at her then, using my magic and that confirmed it. She had what looked like giant chunks bitten out of her skin. These were bites that only I would be able to see since it was my magic that had caused them, my magic that had attacked her earlier when she sucked me into the Dream World.  I could only imagine the constant pain she was in, sure I could pull my magic back and they would heal, but at this point why would I? Instead I prepared to attack her again.

Nergal turned to me, a pleading look in his eyes. “I cannot allow you to harm Lilu. Ereshkigal, I’m sorry, you must let me handle this.”

I stopped, shocked and a little hurt, “she is killing
Nam, how can you protect her?”

“She is my sister,” He looked even sadder now.

“Half sister,” Ekur mumbled, giving me a conspiratory look.

“When you mentioned Knife Shrubs, I knew Lilu had to have had something to do with it, and if with that then with everything else. She has a Knife Shrub garden, a sanctuary if you will, in the back. She has been fascinated with them since she was little,” Nergal explained.

“How would you know that? I am fifty years older than you!” Lilu shrieked.

“Silence!” Nergal yelled at her and she stilled. I had never seen Nergal angry, it was frightening and somehow arousing.

“Why would you do something like this? I don’t even know you,” shaking my head I just stood there, appalled.

“I should be queen.” Her statement was simple and the first thing out of her mouth that didn’t sound like Ms. Nut Job Bitch.

“Lilu, I have put up with a lot from you out of respect for our mother, but no more,” Nergal seemed so depressed. I wanted to go to his side, but knew this was Alu business and I needed to wait.

“What do you mean Nergal? What are you going to do?” Her voice was pitchy and getting higher with every word.

“Ekur, take her to the dungeon and lock her up.”

She began to thrash against her captor and I could feel pressure in the atmosphere, boiling, and an almost burnt smell filled my nostrils.

Alarmed, I warned them, “She’s going to use magic.”

“No she won’t.” Nergal, his eyes sad, focused on his sister and it was like all the pressure left the room and for a second I could not breathe. I watched Lilu’s face as the color drained from it, her hands reached for her throat, grasping at something invisible.

I could breathe again, my heart was thumping in my chest, furiously, but Lilu still looked like she could not, her eyes bulging, I tasted her panic on the back of my tongue.

“If you use magic I will bind you, do you understand?” Nergal asked. She nodded her head and then took a deep breath, arms relaxing at her sides.

“Nergal, baby brother, you would not really bind me?” She sounded weak, but the look in her eyes was conniving.

“Lilu, just stop.” Ekur was frustrated I could tell and began to haul her away, she started to kick and scream.

“I will not bow to some Kassaptu whore! I should be Queen, I am the eldest!!! If I cannot have you Nergal, she will not, I swear this!”

I could hear her shrieks for what seemed like minutes after she was gone, I felt sorry for Ekur. Nergal faced me and shame filled his features. He came to me and took my hands in his.

“I am so sorry my best beloved one. I did not think her anger had grown so fierce that she would try to harm you.”

“Explain; who is she? You said she’s your sister….” I hated feeling confused.

“It is through my father’s line that the ruling is passed down; I am his first born son,” he began, “and the most powerful Alu in Bet Pagri. But in Lilu’s reality she is older so she should rule.”

“Ekur mentioned she is your half sister.”

“Yes, our mother was mated before she met my father; she had Lilu and then was widowed. My father took Lilu as his own and then they had me shortly after they were wed,” he finished.

“Has she always been like this?” And did it run in his family?

“No. She was the best big sister when I was small. But our mother died 15 years ago and after that Lilu changed. She became power hungry and crazed with keeping Alus pure, reverting to the old ways. When my father remarried two years ago it was… difficult.  I have been straining myself to keep her in check.” He rubbed a hand over his eyes, tired.

“But I thought you said your mother and father were looking forward to meeting me?”

“I call father’s new wife mother because I have known her most of my life and out of respect for her position as our Queen.” Nergal brushed his hand up and down my arm, this guy had been through a lot in his life.

As my mind raced to keep up with the information I was being given I had a sudden thought, “
How old are you?”

“Thirty-eight, I am considered to just be ending Alu adolescence.” He smiled; glancing down at me, there was a question in his eyes.

“Our looks are so deceiving,” I laughed. Nergal looked my age, 18, maybe 20 but he was really old enough to be my father.

“Is this a problem? Alus do not care about age since our bodies never match the number.” He seemed a bit concerned.

“No, I was just curious.” I couldn’t help the laughter; it was as if all the stress I was feeling suddenly burst forth in a really inappropriate way.  He stared at me for a second and then, chuckling, gathered me in his arms and just rocked with me as the sardonic humor faded.

“Wait, what did she mean by if I can’t have you no one will….” My hands gripped his arms, I felt like he was grounding me, calming me and I liked the sensation of knowing if I tripped he’d catch me, if I failed he was there to help, even if I didn’t need it.

Rolling his eyes he grimaced, “hundreds of years ago, and I mean hundreds, Alus were in the practice of mating only with other Alus to keep the lines pure. But, as you can imagine, it does cause some problems when family begins to mate. We stopped this years ago when we realized that a full blood Alu is born no matter what or who we mate with,” Nergal explained. So Lilu wanted on her brother? This totally grossed me out.

“I thought you said that most Kassaptu that touch you go crazy?” I rubbed my temples.

“Yes, but Nymphs, Mormos and other Demons do not,” He pulled my hand away from my head and softly kissed the skin I had been rubbing.

“Lilu just wants to go back to the perverted way things were,” another voice joined the conversation. Ekur walked towards us, his arms were covered with tiny scratches and he looked worn out.

“I have told you for years she needs help or to be constantly supervised.” His eyes looked tight and angry.

“You mean locked up.” Nergal did not sound happy.

“Yes, if necessary! She is dangerous and the people are afraid of her. If it was me, she’d be dead.”

I agreed with Ekur’s words. Adura was not the place to live if you wanted mercy. Lilu was treacherous and unstable; things would be better if she went away and did not come back.

“I cannot kill my own sister,” and there was the rub, Nergal loved his sister; Ekur and I did not, however. Meeting Ekur’s gray eyes I knew that given the chance he would kill her and I knew I wouldn’t hesitate either, especially after Nam.

“I need to get back to Nam. Can you help me or not? I have wasted too much time here already,” Pulling away from Nergal I wrapped my arms around myself.

“Yes, we have the antidote, do not worry.”  Nergal made a couple of very high pitch noises and within moments another Alu appeared holding a small purple vial. He gave it to Nergal and then was gone, it all happened so fast I barely had time to look at the Alu who came in. It must be nice to be a Prince that people adored and followed.

“We will come with you, of course.” Ekur told me, “We, too, can pass through the shadows.”