The Wielder Trials. Franca Ogbonnaya

expression on her monarch’s face. “I apologize for the interruption, but you asked to be informed when the Chief of Intelligence and the other ministers arrived.”

      The queen stared at the guard for a moment before letting the flame dissipate.

      “Indeed, I did.” She smiled, to the collective relief of the rest of her servants. “We’ll continue this conversation later,” the monarch hissed to the serpent as she left.

      Malie didn’t relax until he was alone with the corpse. He squeezed his eyes shut. She had been about to kill him, and he was more than ready for it. He glanced at the dead body in his tank.

      You did not die in vain. Your sacrifice is appreciated . Now it was time to eat.

       #

      Queen Kallesa strode briskly, her guards rushing to keep up with her. Visitors of the past had marveled at the long broad hallway with its colossal, ornately decorated marble blue columns spaced widely enough to allow one glimpses of the spectacular royal gardens. To her though, it was nothing more than gaudy and human inspired. And the gardens? Ugh .

      She ignored the bows of the courtiers who darted out of her way. Right now, she was tempted to immolate anyone who looked her in the eye. They had no idea how fortunate they were as she strived to keep her anger in check.

      Conversation ceased immediately as she entered the conference room. Queen Kallesa waved away the bows as she glided regally to the head of the ancient round grey marble table. All those present remained standing until she sat.

      “Lensworth, report.”

      The Minister for the Namiran Intelligence Agency, Nathan Lensworth, cleared his throat and spoke. “We have located fifteen more wielders from families attempting to cross into Malaquey. They have been taken to the hostel.”

      The queen frowned. “Fifteen is a pitiful number.”

      Lensworth nodded. “And I’m afraid it’s the largest number we’ve discovered in six months. The only places that would have wielders in significant numbers would be the three colleges in Malaquey.”

      She raised an eyebrow. “Are you suggesting we openly raid the three colleges in the heart of Malaquey?”

      The minister flushed. “No, Your Highness. I apologize for speaking out of turn.”

      “Splendid.” The queen turned to face another official. “How is the progress on the new ships coming?”

      Master Engineer Tresh Stamets nervously stepped forward. “The shipbuilders are working as fast as they can, Your Highness. We will have one fully completed warship in four months.”

      “Make that two ships in three months or I’ll have to get a new master engineer,” threatened Queen Kallesa with a cold smile. Stamets went pale but nodded.

      “Minister Lensworth.” The intelligence officer looked wary. Good . She loved abruptly switching from one official to another. It made them so uncomfortable.

      “Yes, Your Highness.”

      “Did you identify the merchant ship that convinced the Dyhaeri and Alkynaia to destroy four of my brand-new warships?”

      The official answered carefully. “We need more time, Your Highness. I have sent word to our spies in Malaquey’s major docks. Sailors have loose lips, so in time we will get the information we need.”

      The queen stared at him until sweat formed on his brow. “No word yet on how the Malaquey government will respond to our excursion into their territories?”

      “It is too soon to tell, Your Highness.”

      She turned away and stared at a tall open window for a long moment. Five months ago, she had received an unexpected prophecy from a dying wielder. A month after that, she had ordered four of her new warships to cross the sea border into Malaquey waters. Their orders were simple. Find any wielders, preferably female, around the ages of fifteen and sixteen years old. Snatching wielders for her private use was an order none of her naval officers dared disobey. But this had been the first time in decades the Namiran navy had ventured uninvited into Malaquey waters.

      And it had ended in disaster. Somehow, three of her new warships had been destroyed by a Malaquey merchant ship with the aid of the Alkynaia and a lone cursed Dyhaeri wielder.

       How in the Deep had that occurred?

      “Prepare a statement and send it to their king. Tell them we accidentally strayed into their waters because we saw a ship being attacked by Alkynaia. However, when we tried to intervene, the serpents turned their attention on us, allowing the other ship to escape. Make sure you get the name of that merchant ship and its crew manifest.” She lazily waved a hand. “You’re all dismissed.”

      The officials looked at each other, clearly wishing to discuss more, but Queen Kallesa was not in the mood. She kept her gaze on the window long after they had left. Her mind was occupied with the words and memories of her latest subject.

      Nothing in the dead girl’s memories was useful.

      The queen gripped the armrest as her hand began to heat up, the smell of burning wood forcing her to clamp down on her rage. Over the past four decades, she had modified the ancient armlet so when it took the subject’s powers, it also took the memories. This was why she had been able to gain so much information others could not, such as where wielders were hiding in her kingdom, timetables and locations of those smuggling wielders into Malaquey, the identity of spies, and technological secrets that had been hidden from her.

      But Queen Kallesa’s mind kept returning to what had occurred five months ago, the real reason she had sent those warships into Malaquey waters. A wind wielder had been captured hiding close to the border. But once the armlet had sucked out the element, memories, and life force of the wielder, Queen Kallesa had tried to remove it, only for the corpse to open its eyes and speak with another’s voice. She could still remember the words.

       A wielder awakes late but still in time. She of sixteen cycles has the strength and the ability to bring the Three together. She is the catalyst. The Dyhaeri, the lost ones, the chained ones, and the Alkynaia will aid her and the Three. She and the Three will send the Immortal One to the Abyss.

      Queen Kallesa had grabbed the corpse. “Who is this girl? What is her name and element?!”

      The dead wielder had grinned at her and said in an otherworldly voice, “Kallesezza, betrayer of blood and cursed of your people, your time is coming to an end.”

      And those had been her last words. Of course, Kallesa had been forced to kill the attendants and guards who had witnessed the odd event. They had heard her true name after all.

      Even when the queen had put on the armlet, she had only gotten the power and some stupid memories, nothing that had made sense. She suspected the first strange wielder to speak in such a way had been an untrained Seer.

      But to find two in five months? That couldn’t be a coincidence.

      She was still tempted to kill those who had been in the room today, though she knew that was unnecessary. They knew the price of spilling her secrets. However, maybe things were looking up. That merchant ship must have been carrying the wielder mentioned in the prophecy. Why else would the Dyhaeri and Alkynaia have helped her? She suspected if she found this girl, then she would find the remaining Three.

      “Who are you?” she asked of the universe.

       #

      Britea inspected her reflection in the tall mirror as she nervously straightened out her uniform. She wore a white cotton, short-sleeved, buttoned shirt tucked into a long storm-grey skirt, the hem of which was a pale water blue to represent her element. She was grateful for the long black woolen stockings, especially now that the chill of winter had arrived. Britea had braided her curly, deep-chocolate hair into a single plait and hoped it looked tidy enough.

      The