CELESTIA (Unicorn Blessed Chronicles Book 4) Page 16

  By the time the threads stopped, my body had been struck so many times, I didn't know if I was alive anymore. My senses were consumed with pain and my vision was plagued with darkness. I gave up trying to fight, my body going slack as my mind began to wander, and my ears picked up Martz’s sinister laugh that would have made my skin crawl and blood boil in pure rage if I could feel my skin or had blood within me.

  Is this how it's supposed to end? Did Mother Nature really reincarnate me to endure all this pain, these challenges, and heartache to die? Would… would I really lose the privilege to bear a child?

  I desperately wanted to be positive, to try and fight the darkness that was consuming me inch by inch as I moved closer to death, but the longer I thought about it, the more accepting it was.

  Maybe I wasn't fit to be Queen...

  Celestia…

  Sweetheart…

  Mistress...

  Cutie Pie...

  Dearest...

  Blessed Love...

  My Queen...

  BiBo...

  I opened my eyes to see I was standing in a pool of blood. I already knew it was mine but staring at it… acknowledging it was from the wounded body filled with tiny holes made it that more surreal.

  "BiBo."

  I lifted my eyes to see Momo waddling towards me. She reached my feet, not caring about the blood that began to soak her legs.

  "BiBo?" She raised her arms up at me with a smile.

  Mommy.

  "I'm not fit to be your mom… or Queen… or anything," I whispered.

  "Bi..."

  Why?

  "Because I failed you all. I lost. You all had hope in me… and I couldn't even fight against a being who cares about no one but himself. How can I be a good Queen… or lover… or even protect a child of my own if I can't even win a battle that risks the lives of my people?" I sobbed.

  I wept, wishing it would just be over and I could die. Someone else would be better at this than me. Mother would have been a better candidate. I didn't have enough experience, power, and strength to rule. I wouldn't be able to give them the justice and peace they deserved.

  I'm too kind. To forgiving. A Queen like me would only fail… just like I have now.

  Something touched my cheek, and I lifted my head to see a beautiful woman. Her skin was pale, almost like a light grey, and her dark plum hair was long and curled.

  Her eyes spiraled, and her lips were lined with purple lipstick. She wore a long dress that flowed back like the wind was passing us, and a black veil was pinned to the crown of her head.

  "Mo...mo?"

  "A Queen is one who wants the best for her kingdom. A leader is one who can help change the direction in which a group of people is headed for the better of all. A lover is one who does their best to please the person in their life and help them become the best they can be. A mother is a woman who will love and cherish her children no matter what wrongs they commit. You have all those qualities and more, Celestia. All you have to do is believe in the power locked away."

  "But..."

  "You are good enough, Celestia." Momo smiled.

  "You loved me when the world saw the exterior of my appearance. You cared for me, just like you would your own child. A Queen needs to be able to love with an open mind before she can lead. You will deal with various shifters, and some who do not have the best intentions, but a kind Queen is what will help the light that was once lost within this world, be found again."

  Momo wrapped her arms around me, and even though her magic was as dark as those threads that pierced every part of me when I'd been conscious, the element filled me with love. And hope...

  "Don't give up, Celestia. Odion and the rest need you. They're helping the best way they can. All you have to do is trust in that love you share, and everything will work out."

  A hint of a smile formed on my lips, and though my arms felt heavy, I was able to hug Momo back.

  "Thank you, Momo."

  "You’re welcome, Mom." She whispered before she pulled back to give me a wide smile. "It'll be a while till I can actually say that in real life. Thank you for loving me and helping Odion. You two are like parents to me, just like Arielle."

  She blinked her swirling eyes and glanced down at my stomach. She let me go and placed her hands on my stomach. "Close your eyes, Celestia. When you wake up, let your magic out. Not just light, but everything. Let your power guide you to victory."

  I closed my eyes and felt a change. My body felt lighter but grew with strength. It felt like I was floating, and as my consciousness wavered, I heard Momo's last words.

  "This is my token of appreciation."

  "Don't interfere, Lucian. Your Queen is dead and that pathetic reincarnation will be too."

  "You know I've dreamed of slicing my scythe through that mouth of yours. I should make it into a reality!"

  I was trembling and felt cold, but inside me began to grow warmer and warmer.

  "My Queen, wake up." I heard a soft whisper.

  "Bibibibibibibi."

  Odion? Momo?

  I fought to open my weak eyes and, looking up, I saw Odion's now pure white ones while his hair levitated around him in a glowing silver.

  "BIBO!"

  "Welcome back, my Queen."

  "Odion… Momo… what happened?" I asked, barely able to get the words out. I tried to move but Odion shook his head.

  "Don't move yet, we're not done."

  "Not done?"

  "I'm not a good healer, remember? It's taking longer to heal your wounds. Just stay still for a moment."

  Heal? He's healing me?

  I had to build up enough courage to look down at myself, expecting to see the multiple holes those threads had made, but instead, I noticed my body was glowing in rainbow light. The blessed marks on my arms, wrist, and chest were luminous.

  I could see a bit of the blessed mark on my thigh that was mostly covered by Momo whose little hands were still on my stomach.

  Her body was glowing bright white while her hair was levitating like Odion’s but shifted between different colors.

  I stayed still, and zoned everything out, letting the warmth consume me. Little by little I was getting my strength back, and with it, I could envision the locket and the key within the deepest part of my soul, but it was different. The keyhole was in the center of the golden lock and around it was different colored jewels.

  The colors of the rainbow.

  A black key with a pink jeweled heart entered the keyhole and fit perfectly, and it paused, waiting for my command to let the power hidden in the depth of me to be freed to do its bidding.

  Let your power guide you to victory.

  I willed the key to turn and it did just that, unlocking the power within me. My body grew hot as the energy flowed with purpose, healing me from the inside out.

  Opening my eyes, I saw Odion's weak smile. "We did it."

  "Bi...Bo." Momo yawned and her body glowed until it was engulfed in light and flowed into Odion's chest, something that meant he was too tired to host her physical body anymore.

  "Odion… thank you," I whispered and sat up, feeling like I'd woken up from years of slumber and not from an attack of thousands of threads.

  "It was all of us. Only Lucian and I could get through here, so the others began to send as much magic as they could through our blessed marks to keep you alive enough for Momo to get through to your subconsciousness. So… glad… my Queen..."

  He trailed off when his eyes came to a close and he leaned forward.

  I gripped his shoulders to stop him from falling and sighed in relief when I realized he'd just passed out. I closed my eyes and let my dark element pull out from inside me and wrapped it around Odion's frame until he was floating within a bubble.

  Opening my eyes, I saw my vision was a reality and slowly pushed the bubble through the black barrier that was hindering the others from coming through.

  I knew the rest of this was in my hands, and I'd at least know my
men would recover from their exhaustion.

  I stood and took a deep breath, feeling the elements around me pulsing for justice to be delivered to a man who'd yet to repent for his actions.

  Thank you, Finn, Orion, Hunter, Theo, Caio, Cairus, and Odion. You have done your parts in this battle. Leave the rest to me.

  With a deep inhale, I turned to face the two men that were fighting, sword against scythe.

  Their eyes displayed their determination as they continued to defend and attack, both with the intention of killing the other.

  They pushed back to gain some distance between them, and Martz's gaze landed on me. Instead of looking worried, he grinned and began to laugh.

  "Well, well, well. Those pathetic copies were able to do some good and heal you right up. Too bad it was all a waste of time."

  Lucian glanced my way and I smiled at him.

  "Lucian. You can retreat. I won't need your assistance for this," I assured him. He gave me a look, one that flickered between concerned and admiration.

  Lucian did what I asked, pushing off the ground and landing behind me. "Celestia..."

  "Prince of Darkness," I whispered and turned around to face him, not bothered at the fact my back faced Martz. He was far too prideful and cocky to attack me with my back turned.

  A cowardly move.

  "Thank you."

  His concern only doubled, and he frowned. "You thank the one who brought harm to you?"

  "You brought harm for me to discover about my past. It did hurt, but those wounds healed. Your intentions for me were good. Just in a Prince of Darkness way."

  "Are you two done with your sappy goodbyes? I'd like to finish the two of you off so I can deal with those traitors and move along to run this land my way. Hand over the rainbow crown, child."

  I turned back around to face him and shrugged.

  "Sorry, but I don't have it."

  Martz stared at me, clearly thinking I was joking.

  "Excuse me?"

  "I said I don't have it. Do you see a rainbow crown on my head? Don't tell me you fell for the rumor we created."

  When he didn't reply, I smirked and began to snicker. Now it was my turn to laugh as I worked on gathering the energy inside me, allowing it to build while I kept Martz distracted.

  "Wow. I guess when you live for so many centuries, you have this impression that no one will fuck you over. What a joke. How does it feel? Doesn't feel very nice being betrayed by the people who are tired of your bullshit."

  Martz was gone in a flash and was in my face in the next second. I felt Lucian's energy heighten, but I lifted my hand to signal him to stop.

  He can do no harm to me.

  "I can destroy you."

  "Go ahead," I dared. My vision turned black and white as a sinister smile formed on my lips.

  His eyes grew wide in shock, and he tried to move back but struggled as if his feet were glued to the floor.

  "You need that crown for the power it carries. Those potions are losing their effectiveness and if the Forsaken continue at the rate they are, you will succumb to it too. That's why you want the crown. To ensure your castle and loyal commands are safe to make a new world full of shifters that will only obey you."

  He huffed and rolled his eyes, trying not to look nervous.

  "You can't kill me. The darkness inside me is far too powerful. A part of your soul is what is needed to get rid of me, and with half a soul, you'll die from the darkness that will consume you. It's a lose-lose situation. So, go right ahead. Kill me! Without the next heir, this world will rot and self-destruct. At least with me as ruler, some shifters will have a chance of survival."

  "Living in a world of darkness created by greed, power, and control isn't what shifters want. It will all come crashing down, and people would rather beg for death than live under your ruling." Spite infused my words, the smirk still evident on my face.

  "You're nothing but a child," he snarled, and my grin only widened, noticing the way his hands trembled.

  "To you, yes. To, Mother Nature, not quite. You're trembling in fear right now because you know your end has come. Right now, I'm not the Celestia you pierced like a rag doll, hoping I'd die just like that. You feel the darkness inside me. The strength it carries to not only hurt you but overpower you. How would you feel if you had to go through exactly what you did to me?" I teased and took a step back.

  "I'll die and so will you if you dare pierce me," he growled.

  "So be it." I shrugged and looked over to address the speechless Lucian.

  "Lucian, Prince of Darkness. You've done more than enough for me. Though I may not be exactly the woman you once loved and cherished, I thank you for what you have done. For helping me reach this point where Mother Nature needed me to be. You can go now. You do not need to face death on my behalf."

  Lucian sighed and mumbled, "You're still as selfless as ever."

  "You make it sound like it's a negative thing."

  "In your case, it is," he whispered as he placed his hand on my right shoulder. "My time on the land of the living is long overdue. Two of us together will make a big difference."

  "You'll still die! How dare you try and go against me!” Matz snapped.

  "You killed the woman I loved. You took away pieces of my body and allowed your people to mock me endlessly. I lived in the shadows, watching for years as you killed my people or fed them to the Forsaken to alter their appearances and make it that much easier to eliminate those of dark magic. I displeased you and your pathetic group of power hungry assholes for centuries, and now I get to see the end of you all. As we speak, they should be nothing but ash by now, thanks to the potion that you’re fighting so desperately against. You tremble and threaten us because you know if you don't defeat us shortly, you will join your comrades in the land of judgment. I do not care about this world, but I won't allow the likes of you to control it any longer. If I can do one last good deed to give me the chance to meet my beloved Sia, so be it."

  "You fucking fool!"

  "No, Martz. You are the fool. No matter how many times you get away with something, there will always come that fateful day where your luck runs out. What do they call it on television? Oh right!" I lifted my left hand to my side like a waiter waiting for something to be passed to them.

  I grinned when Lucian placed the hilt of his blade in my left hand and placed his now free left hand onto my shoulder, beginning to pour his dark energy into me. Raising the point of the sword to Martz's chest, I looked him dead in the eye and smiled.

  "Karma's a bitch."

  "NOO!!" Martz screamed, but it was too late.

  I slid my sword into his chest and closed my eyes.

  "May the darkness that continues to flow into my body use me as a connector to rid us of this man who deserves judgment. Allow me to deliver the justice he respectively earned. And for the suffering of all those who were killed due to his involvement, let their pain, agony, and depression be inflicted into him with every thread I create. Let Mother Nature see the end of the wickedness."

  I opened my eyes as the first scream left his mouth. With the first string of the thin thread, a stream of darkness shot out and hit the barrier around us.

  As the second thread pierced through him, another ray shot out. Over and over his screams of agony echoed around us as the darkness he'd harbored for centuries yearned to escape the control it had been forced to obey.

  "Celestia… it won't be long till this dome of black energy explodes."

  "It'll only affect us, right?" I whispered, turning my head to see Lucian’s sad eyes. He nodded, and I smiled.

  "Then there's nothing to worry about. Let this matter end with me. Mother Nature will find someone to bring peace to this dimension and across the dimensions and galaxies when the time is right. My work here is done."

  "You know I won't die..." he whispered. I realized he was referring to the curse he’d been inflicted with, and my smile widened.

  "You will… if that is what
you truly wish," I said with confidence as the last bits of thread pierced through the wide opening of Martz's mouth, silencing him while his body began to crack.

  "You'd be a wonderful Queen, Celestia."

  "If you ever get a chance at life, Lucian, whether it's on this land of the living or the one above, may you enjoy it with the people you loved most."

  I turned my head slightly to give him one last smile, a single tear rolling down my cheek.

  "Farewell, Lucian, and thank you.”

  "Farewell, Queen Celestia. Thank you for seeing the true me."

  I closed my eyes and was swallowed by darkness.

  Celestia...

  I opened my eyes and took in my surroundings. I was in a mesmerizing garden, one filled with roses of every color. The wind was warm, and the sun was high in the sky.

  I looked down to see me in a beautiful white dress. It almost reminded me of a wedding dress, and I lifted the bottom part of it to walk through the field of roses.

  It was beautiful here. Peaceful… but I knew I wouldn't be here for long. My time had come to an end, and Mother Nature was allowing me to see this beautiful landscape one last time.

  "It's beautiful."

  I glanced to my left and saw Lucian in black armor with purple outlining. His hair was up in a ponytail and he looked the happiest I'd seen him.

  Like in the dreams where he was with his Queen.

  "It is," I replied. "I hope where we go next is as peaceful as this place."

  "Celestia."

  I needed a second to differentiate the kind, soft voice that sounded so familiar. I turned around to see the woman from my dreams wearing a gorgeous white gown. Her hair was up in a ponytail while the ends were curled; tiny white petals were intricately placed in the crown part of her hair.

  The sight of her triggered a bunch of memories inside of me, ones I'd unintentionally forgotten.