Angelina lowered her eyes, a blush appearing on her cheeks. The kind he liked.
Reive came up to her, having a strange feeling that the ground under his feet was giving way. He forced a smile and took her hand, “Let’s go. I have something else to show you today.”
Angelina just opened her mouth and then closed it. She put her hand into his and headed towards the exit from the cave.
The sun met them with a stabbing glare. The necromancer even stopped for a moment, sighing deeply. The wind was blowing pleasantly cool against his skin, the sun was warming the smile on his face. He had a small girl’s hand in his, giving him a strange feeling of fullness in his breast.
It seemed like he hadn’t felt so good for a long time.
Had he ever felt so good?
The court met them without much surprise. As if they’d been there from the very beginning but had just lagged behind the procession.
A crowd of nobles was settl
“But she’s still alive. And maybe she’ll recover. No one knows. Reive, please, tell me... Will you be able to heal her?”The girl suddenly stopped and cast such a bright and pure look at him that, at first the necromancer didn’t know how to answer. Should he tell her the truth that he had no plans to cure her? Or to lie?It seemed that Gerhard Ayris was already making plans as if Livia wouldn’t recover. It was quite clear he didn’t care about his fiancée. Earlier when she’d been extremely attractive he’d liked her as a woman. Now, it was much simpler to find another likeable candidate for the throne. Reive wondered if Duchess Billefort was well-born enough. Something told the necromancer she was.“I’ll try, Angel,” Reive answered evasively. “But Livia’s very unlikely to fully recover. The curse she’s been so unlucky to get affects the bones and blood, and causes irre
This was when it became terrifying to be next to Reive. His eyes burned with something desperately gloomy; some strange power, enormous and powerful, like the monsters of Twilight. And maybe just as hungry.I might have thought I was imagining it all. That Reive had once again just decided to surprise me and show me his power. The power of the Undead King.Now, it wasn’t the same as before. It all started with my blood.Of course, I knew very little about real necromancy. It had always been hard for me to understand what was happening when Reive was casting magic. Until today. Today, the real power of his spells was made clear. I was a necessary ingredient in them.As soon as he began to read the invocation, the surrounding air began to vibrate. I watched how the chain on his wrist glowed from my blood, and the small silver skulls seemed to come to life. They opened and closed their mouths and their empty red eye sockets blinked.I had never
As usual, Reive alone was calm, like a cat that had flicked meat from the table and gobbled it down while nobody was watching.“I would like to know myself, Your Majesty!” the necromancer spread his arms wide in a gesture of bewilderment. “Did you see it? A huge beast rose to the surface, and was about to drown Angelina and me! I only managed to curl us up together to keep us afloat!”Gerhard raised his brows and frowned. The expression on his face was rather comical. If it hadn’t been for the surrounding tension, I might even have laughed.“Are you saying you have nothing to do with the appearance of this beast?” His Majesty asked incredulously.“Of course, I don’t! How could I?” Reive put his hand to his breast and pretended to stare wide-eyed, squeezing my hand.An insistent burst of laughter was slowly working its way through my throat.“We saw a strong magic aura around L
The question was so direct and severe the necromancer was tempted to tell the truth. The whole truth, not just parts of it. Was the time really ripe? Especially since the girl would hardly like everything, he had planned.As he walked again around Ihordarrine’s slums, he felt the satisfying vibrations of magic in his chest, flowing through his anarel in huge amounts. The deaths of bums and killers were restoring his former strength all too quickly. He was literally bursting with the desire to take in everything at once. He wanted to take action right now. However, he was trying to restrain himself at least for Angelina’s sake. How long would his patience hold?On the other hand, however long he delayed his confession, her reaction would still be the same. It wasn’t worth deceiving himself.One way or another, he pretended not to understand what she was asking and diverted the conversation in the direction he wanted, “I spent all day
Reive walked along the castle corridors, sensing the Sepulchral Shadow doggedly following him, waiting for an order. The necromancer was staring ahead, almost without knowing where he was going.His legs took him first to the attic and then onto the roof of one of Firel’s towers. From there, he could see the whole of Ihordarrine lit by hundreds of magic lanterns and thousands of stars. Reive walked right to the edge, leant on the stone railing and looked down.Darkness had already fallen on the city. People were scattered around in their homes like ants hiding in their shelters as soon as the sun went down.The necromancer closed his eyes, taking a loud breath of the cool air into his lungs. “My master...” the shadow whispered, appearing from the old stonework like the fog of death. “Whom... tell me, whom to kill?”“How’s the garrison commander doing?” the necromancer as
he following morning, the necromancer appeared in the suite he and Angelina shared. He couldn’t return there at night knowing what would happen in just a few hours. His feet refused to take him to their rooms, and his heart felt completely empty. Only the Dark was seething in challenge, burning his anarel and asking for more deaths.When the door opened and the girl appeared at the entrance fully dressed and ready to leave, the necromancer met her with a bow and a calm smile, “You look marvelous, my dear fiancée,” he said, kissing her hand and noticing with pleasure that her blush was in place.“Thank you,” Angelina answered, adjusting the hem of her beautifully ironed dress of blue Thessalian silk. “Are we going to accompany the king?”“Yeah,” Reive nodded, taking her by the arm.“Is His Majesty planning to ride the shellmougr?” it seemed the little necromancer was really interested
Out of the corner of his eye, the necromancer saw Angelina drop her gaze and shut her lips so tight they turned white.“I mean to say I’m the king now!” Reive answered coldly. He looked with repulsion at the heavy golden crown then threw it aside like a cheap trinket.He folded his arms behind his back and raised his eyebrow.Gerhard Ayris looked around, seeking support from the courtiers and mages. Then, feeling everything was in order since his security was still protecting him; and with the court waiting for his reaction, he laughed – first quietly, and then louder and louder.The crowd of courtiers rustled, and then joined in his laughter. Only Angelina didn’t laugh, and clearly didn’t know what to do with herself.“You’re mad, earl! It can only be you’ve inherited the disease of your distant ancestor,” the king said. “I’m not sure I can pretend nothing has happened...&rdqu
Everything was in a fog. It was as if I’d had a hideous nightmare. I’d appeared on the square in front of the castle, and beside me, there was the Undead King holding my hand. Not Reive, but the Undead King. The cold Dark was clouding his eyes and twilight aura was pulsating around his body. Like around a really powerful necromancer.Except I couldn’t see anything of it. Because I lacked the ability to discern a necromancer’s anarel, and even less to see the darkness around.However, when I opened my eyes, it all turned out to be true.Reive was holding me in his arms and behind his back, the huge dragon had spread his wings out on the ground. His bones were rattling against the stonework. He was striking sparks with his tail and scattering dust and brick crumbs around him. Monstrous teeth were chattering in his maw, and bloodshot eyes were looking straight at me. As if he wanted to say something.Reive was carrying me towards him.
***Five years later the kingdom of Aldenor was renamed ‘Empire of Shadow’.Reive and Angelina were awarded the titles of emperor and empress. A year later their triplets were born, two boys and a girl. All three possessed a strong dark gift for twilight magic. In time, they entered the academy their mother had founded, CYANIDE— Central YOUNG Academy for Necromantic Ideology and Demonology Education.Therefore, the royal couple introduced a new fashion for necromancy. Henceforth, all influential families in the empire dreamed of sending their children to CYANIDE, still sometimes jokingly called ‘Academy of Death’.Twenty years on, necromancers had become the main combat unit of the army of the Empire of Shadow. Not one of the neighboring states would even dream of transgressing the borders or otherwise offending the continent’s most dangerous empire.Until the day of his death, Reive saw Ulfricus from time to tim
The order in Ashgenrian sounded more powerful and confident that ever before. Shivers ran down my spine.That very second a small pale shadow formed beside me, a few seconds later it acquired an outline.“Byelndevir!” Reive exclaimed, his eyes opening wide. Such a wide smile appeared on his face that I felt truly happy.“I’m sorry I nearly bit your head off,” the little spirit said, spreading his wings. Real ones, not bones.The dragon was of human size and so took up an impressive amount of space. However, that was nothing in comparison to his former dimensions. I knew his size could now be changed at will – bigger or smaller.“Fantastic!” the necromancer gasped and struggled, then succeeded to stand up from the bed. He went up to the ghost and carefully touched his wing, as if they were blood brothers. “And I didn’t take offense, my friend.”It seemed to me that
“Yes, it can.” I nodded, “When the dead opened their mouths to sing, the earth was filled with the voices of Twilight itself. It was horrifying and amazing at the same time. With each second that passed more and more ghosts appeared. Their numbers grew and quickly surpassed the numbers of the Union Army. They were dressed like military, in ancient cuirass and such like armor. Their sounds were like thunder as they moved amongst the troops of our enemies. Then the living dead on our side moved into their ranks, joining in the song, but not attacking. The warriors of the Union soon began to throw down their weapons and retreat. Several spirits surrounded each of them, shaking their swords and drawing closer as if they were thirsty for the kill.I sighed deeply, shaking off dark thoughts and continued, “And Ulfricus appeared beside me. He introduced himself, I hadn’t known what he would look like. The druid smiled sadly, laid his hand on my shoulder
hree months have passed since I became Queen of Aldenor. Reive has spent the best part of this time lolling about in bed and has only now begun to rise himself. See, I’ve taken upon myself the none-too-easy burden of governing the country.To tell the truth it hasn’t been very enjoyable. Especially having to resolve conflicts with the not inconsiderable number of disgruntled people who wanted to see someone else in power. I had much help. Advisors, mages, military leaders. Those who had come across to our side when things had quieted down a little. When it had become clear that we had a rightful claim to the throne. Reive was the enthroned ruler who had never renounced his crown. And I... I was the Gerhard Ayris’ bastard. The only illegitimate daughter of the recently deceased king.This became widely known not just to the highborn nobles, but to the common people. And, as I understand, not without the help of Asper Glane.The day after t
There were screams of horror from somewhere to the side. I turned round and saw the gates finally open and the drawbridge come fully down. Now, crowds of the transformed undead – frightening, strong and dangerous – were slowly crawling out. Even from here I could see their empty eye sockets flash with hunger and hear their sharp teeth clatter in their skulls.However, the undead weren’t hurrying to attack. There was no longer anyone to give them the order.I began to panic. I closed my eyes and forced myself to slowly breathe out.My hands were shaking. The chain in my hand was twitching, its links rattling barely audibly.Suddenly, behind my lowered eyelids I saw the threads of the Dark. In their hundreds and thousands, they were stretching out from Reive to the subjugated undead. They were chattering and tightening, demanding the order that couldn’t come.Nevertheless, there was also something else. Almost unnoticeable. Al
Dark and Twilight, how could this happen? Why?!“Duchess Myria Clarian Castro-Arcs broke away from the ranks of the main army and raced through the rows of our zombies under her own initiative,” Glein answered gloomily, drawing his sword uncertainly.It seemed I had asked the last question aloud. The garrison commander, Reive man who had been covering our rear all this time, didn’t know what he should do now. How he could bear arms against the woman he had formerly sworn to protect. Gerhard Ayris’s sister, the Princess of Aldenor.Also her own brother’s lover and my mother. Nevertheless, it was hardly likely that would be known to anyone.“And all this for the sake of killing Reive?” I moaned, struggling to help Glein keep the necromancer on his feet.The Undead King lost consciousness, and I could feel how heavy he was. I wanted to make a joke like: ‘you couldn’t tell by the look
Angelina smiled confusedly but didn’t let him distract her, “You must stop this battle. Right now. You started it, so you stop it.”Reive pursed his lips, thoughtfully rubbing his chin with one hand while continuing to hold Angelina’s wrist with the other, “Hmm... The battle’s already started. The Council is continuing its attack despite the throne guardian’s death,” he was deliberating. “I suppose either they don’t know that, or someone else is acting as supreme commander. But...” he made a short pause and then smiled and winked at the girl. “But I have a plan.”He clicked his fingers and the canopy of the Dark above them dispersed like mist.“Your Dark Majesty, it’s dangerous,” broke in Glein, standing at a respectful distance from Reive all this time. “The arrows, the magic, the flying beasts. We may not reach the walls of the fortress.”He looke
The Ashgenrian words left Reive’s lips, immediately breaking the higher undead’s attachment spell. Now, Biellendevir was attached neither to him nor to Angelina.The huge beast opened his mouth wide and cried aloud. A terrifying roar tore through the surroundings, freezing the wide-open eyes of the soldiers and chilling the hearts of the living.A bloody film clouded the gaze of the higher undead. No one controlled him now.It was no longer the same Biellen the necromancer’d known all his life. It was a higher undead, incredibly strong and incredibly hungry.“Forgive me,” Reive repeated, creating a ghostly noose and throwing it over the dragon’s neck.One movement – and the huge monster’s head drooped, his bones creaking.Biellendevir was roaring, making sounds like the howl of the cursed Abyss. No one dared to approach the three of them at that moment. Neither the enemy’s soldiers nor th
All the last day flashed by like a whirlwind before the eyes of the necromancer. He saw himself coming out of Angelina’s room. He saw the broken potion bottle, and Zomzom’s crippled body hidden behind the flight of stairs.The necromancer didn’t have any time to search for the killer just then. He ordered the zombie brought to his laboratory, promising himself he would find the brazen mage who had decided to make such a stupid joke with his personal servant.Now, the puzzle had come into place. This brazen mage was Livia Rendan. She had turned out to be a much stronger opponent than he had realized. The woman hadn’t only been able to delay the effect of the curse but with time might manage to completely neutralize it. Reive saw she was already able to speak perfectly well and even get to her feet. It was worthy of admiration. Reive had always respected strength of mind.However, Livia didn’t want to live. She had something els