The Legend of Queen Rowena

Chapter 2: A deal is struck

Again those uncomfortable shivers slithered up and down my body like a warning sign.

"If you're not Elyon, then who are you?"

Cold sneering snickers echoed through the deserted chapel. The voice was coming from in front of me, from the statue, and yet the voice was telling me that he wasn't Elyon...

"No, I'm not Elyon. I'm much much better. Rejoice human for a god has answered your prayers."

Suddenly huge black feathered wings shot out from behind the statue and gleamed magnificently in the moonlight. I was so confused and disorientated but I still admired their dark beauty.

I watched, unable to look away as the wings slowly lowered down the Elyon statue. I followed them with my eyes, inch by inch, partly out of admiration but mostly out of fear. The large wings came to a stop halfway down Elyon's legs and I stared puzzled waiting for their next movements.

Slowly the pair of wings shifted to the left of the statue and revealed the body they were attached to.

A lean muscled masculine body, barely concealed behind a thin white shirt and black trousers. His feet were bare and he was crouching down looking at me with a terrifying smirk on his lips. Broad shoulders, intimidating, frightfully beautiful, hair as black as his raven wings, and undeniably godly.

"W-what are you?" The shivers again.

"Weren't you listening before? I am a god, and I am about to make all your wishes come true."

His voice was hypnotic and so I found myself being pulled into every lull of his speech and the seductive way he said his words.

"Revenge right? That's what you want. You want to make them pay, don't you? You want to crush them underneath your feet and see them beg for mercy?"

As he spoke, his red eyes glowed like fire jewels in the dark chapel. In his fierce eyes, I saw everything I wanted. I could see my stepmother and half-siblings crying out in pain, begging me for forgiveness. On their hands and knees clinging to my skirts. There was a crown on top of my head. The Emperor crown, that was only worn by the supreme leader of Cawdor. I was finally seated on the throne that belonged to me, with the entire empire bowing to me. In his eyes, I saw everything I ever wanted. Every good dream I had ever had.

The strange winged man grinned a wicked expression for a second. I froze in my place. He was crouching down only a few feet away from me, while I was still lying on the floor lifting my head up to look at him. That's when I saw it. My hand was up reaching toward his, while his hand was outstretched waiting for mine to grasp his.

It was his voice that hypnotized me, while his eyes had tempted me. I felt like I had just broken free of a spell this thing had cast on me. Quickly I pulled my hand back and I saw his eyes darken. By taking his hand it would have meant accepting whatever deal he was putting forth. I was relieved that I had come to my senses before I had taken his hand.

"What's wrong human? Don't you want those things? Just a moment ago you were praying so pathetically for them."

I winced at the sudden cruel tone in his voice, it seemed that moving my hand away had foiled whatever he was planning.

"I still want them..." I admitted. "But at what cost are willing to give these things to me?"

I may be half-dead lying in a pool of my own blood, but I was not an idiot. There had to be a price for what this strange creature was going to give me, a price that probably wasn't worth it.