The Ice Queen of Lessaenes (Book 5)

Turning

The picture is Glaisse's Elitia. Icicle Hall is the mound-like glass structure in the background, on the right. 

..........................

One year later...

They never discovered it was me who killed Liermann. They didn't even bother to check the bloody knife by his body for fingerprints: the Scientist Chief and her advisors were so sure that he had simply committed suicide to escape torture and interrogation. 

The Human Union, being a pesky democracy that couldn't care less for its leader once he was dead, only spent a few hours mourning their late President Liermann before electing a woman named Evangeline Anderson to replace him.

President Anderson was a loathsome woman, unnaturally tall and thin as a pole with a pointy nose and cruel eyes. Airel avoided watching her on Auraview, saying that looking at her face made him feel like she was staring into his soul. 

Though I teased him for his cowardliness, I secretly agreed...

Of course, with her radical plans to cease all negotiations and "wipe the aliens out," she couldn't have possibly won the election and continued to carry the support of the humans without Kamryn Liermann. I was starting to hate the girl more than I had her father. 

She was the queen of fake, lacking the ability to end any interview or speech without bursting into tears at least once.

Almost Anderson's entire campaign consisted of videos of Kamryn crying about how " the aliens ruined my life, and Evangeline Anderson is the only one who can stop them." Of course, she juiced up the details of how Liermann was "brutally murdered without cause," and how we Lessaenites were "heartless savages obsessed with ruling the universe." 

So, the Second Galactic War continued, and we accepted the fact that all hope of it ending anytime soon had died with Liermann. 

On the flip side, Keilee wasn't as bad of a queen as Armetorius, Airel, and I thought she would be. She wasn't of much use, the Council basically ruled Lessaenes by itself, but she didn't try to force her illogical ideas on everyone.  

Also, Fenorel had gotten into the habit of secretly visiting me at night once or twice a week using the portal that led from Wellae to his lab, and each time, we grew closer. Sometimes, we talked about the progress of the Iceheart Serum, which was painfully slow, and, when we were feeling brave, we took silent walks around the garden, most of which ended with a kiss. I didn't want to admit it...but I loved him. 

It was at one of these meetings that I had one of the most important experiences of my life. 

I kept my Aural power to a minimum, to keep myself from lighting up and alerting any Ice Guards in the area of my presence. As I crept out into the garden, I felt the familiar exhilaration of doing something forbidden. Something Keilee would kill me for doing. No matter how many times I did this, the feeling was the same. 

"Hey," Fenorel smiled. 

The courage he had, to stand there waiting for me, knowing that at any moment, an Ice Guard could see him and his entire secret could unravel...

"Hi," I gave him a friendly wave. 

"You're so cute, Sara," he laughed. "And I don't mean attractive cute...well, that too, but little kid cute." 

"Fenorel!" I pouted and he only continued to laugh. "It's not my fault I'm only 5'1''!" 

"Geez, I was only teasing," he sighed. "Anyway, I just received some news from my employees...the Iceheart Serum won't be finished for another six months. I am so sorry, Sara, I know how much you want it," he gently squeezed my hand. 

Six more months. Six more months of being bullied by Keilee. Six more months of being unnoticed at royal galas. Six more months of my miserable life...

"I can't wait six months," I said simply. 

"If I hadn't made the Serum, you'd be waiting for the rest of your life."

"But you did make it," I bit my lip. "That's the thing." 

"Look, it's going to be okay," Fenorel put his hands on my shoulders. "I know how you feel. I wouldn't be making you wait if it wasn't absolutely necessary. Do you want to come see its progress?" 

"You don't have to cheer me up," I said dryly. 

"But I want to," Fenorel smiled softly. "Come here." 

Together, we walked along the old-timey, dainty cobblestone path that cut through the garden, leading up to the wall. Fenorel opened the entrance, and I let myself fall into it. The first few times, I was a bit...shaken by the method of entry, but now, it felt as natural as walking through a door. 

"Look, we got a few more gallons of Type 2B ready for testing right there," Fenorel pointed to where two of his workers poured Iceheart Serum from a large metal vat into one of the large, transparent cylinders they used to store the miraculous liquid. 

"And this, of course, is what we're going to use to inject 2B into our first non-rodent test subject, a dog." He pointed to the largest needle I had ever seen tipped with a gleaming silver point. It looked more like a murder weapon than a medical instrument, and was, of course, filled with Iceheart Serum. 

"Is he going to be okay?" Guilt filled me as I looked at the innocent looking dog asleep on a soft blanket inside a small enclosure in the next room. 

"Of course he is," Fenorel assured me. "If anything, the Serum will turn him into a superdog!"

"Lord Soren! Dr. Laurik has some questions about production," one of the workers called. 

"Alright, I'm coming!" He yelled back. "Okay, Saralee, I'll be right back. Please don't touch anything." 

"Okay," I smiled as he walked into the next room, a deliciously wrong idea forming in my head. 

There was no one in the room, and the needle was literally hanging in front of my face...It would be so easy. 

There was a 70% chance that the untested Serum would kill me...

I stepped forward shakily, slipping the needle off the thin string it was suspended from. With trembling hands, I held it in my right fist, hovering inches over my left arm. 

I heard Fenorel's steps in the next room, he was coming back. I would need to make my move quickly. 

This is a dumb idea. 

Note from Queen Saralee: No, it's an amazing idea!

But I thought a second too late, because I had already jabbed the needle into my skin. White heat erupted across my body as I collapsed onto the floor. The last thing I heard was Fenorel screaming my name, before the world faded into blackness.