The Mage Queen Book 1: The Princess
Black and White

Rowen looked down and gulped.

It was a very long way down.

He couldn't even hear the debris drop from where he hung. Rowen scanned the damaged stone walls and tried to stick his foot in one of the holes. Unfortunately, the stone crumbled the moment he stepped on it and his hand nearly slipped through the princess' sweaty grip. He yelped and watched the dislodged stone fall and shatter on the ground.

Dying as a splatter doesn't sound nice, he mused. He glanced up at Anastacia who was groaning and grunting to try and pull them up. Rowen tried digging into his pockets only to find a small morsel. He frowned and snorted at the disappointing piece until he found something green growing from it.

Mold, he beamed. "Ana, let go of me!"

Anastacia gawked. "Have you lost your mind!?"

"I have a way to get us up there but you're gonna have to drop me!"

"Drop you!? No! Marick will kill —!"

"— He won't kill you! Trust me!"

She gulped but felt her grip loosen. When Anastacia looked down, fear seized her again. Not a single foothold or net in sight and Rowen wanted her to trust him? Panic made her tremble, causing the bricks she gripped to crumble. How would Rowen get himself out of that?

"Ana, let me go!" Rowen repeated. "It's gonna be okay!"

No, it's not going to be okay, her mind screamed. All she could see beneath them was darkness and the thought of the jagged debris impaling them both terrified her. She tried to pull them both up but a searing pain shot through her arm and Rowen's hand slipped through her sweaty grip. Her heart stopped as she tried to grab Rowen again only for him to clench his fist, forcing her to watch him plummet.

"Rowen!" screamed Anastacia.

Her heart sank at the sight until she noticed a smile on his face. Bewildered, Anastacia gasped when a bright green light engulfed Rowen. From the light, a large vine shot out and hooked itself on the window pane. Anastacia stared in disbelief at Rowen's left arm that transformed into leafy green vines. Her mind nearly crashed from the overwhelming waves of mixed emotions. One moment she thought he was going to die, the next moment — he shot out some vines and latched onto the window sill.

"You could have just told me!" she screamed. "I thought you were going to die!"

Rowen laughed sheepishly. "Sorry, but I thought you wouldn't believe me!"

"Rowen!"

"I'm sorry!"

Anastacia gawked at Rowen launch himself over the window before forming more vines on the window sill.

"Climb up!" Rowen extended his hand. "Come on, Cap's getting clobbered!"

Anastacia, grunting, grabbed the vines and pulled herself up. With the vines, she found some footholds while Rowen hauled her up. At the top, Anastacia tumbled in when Rowen yanked her over the window sill. She yelped and the two of them gasped in relief before lying flat on the ground.

"Rowen, please don't do that again!" Anastacia pleaded. "At least tell me that you can do cool stuff like that!"

Rowen chuckled and exhaled. "Sure."

Sighing, Anastacia pulled herself against the window sill when a bloodcurdling roar sent her knees buckling. She collapsed on the ground and gasped when she saw Marick get kicked into the wall by a large humanoid being. The brute raised its disfigured and engorged arm above its head to smash the pirate but found vines holding it down. Anastacia found Rowen struggling and digging his heels into the ground, trying to drag its arm back. Closing her eyes, she put her hands together and rubbed them until warm energy began to pulse. The mana swirled around until she felt it compress into a ball. Once it felt solid enough, she hurled it at the creature and hit it squarely on its face.

"Nice shot!" Rowen beamed as he yanked harder, bringing the brute down.

Anastacia giggled and found Marick dragging himself away from the wall, taking advantage of the brute being stunned. He impaled the brute through its chest, twisting the blade deep. The creature cried out in pain and black thorns suddenly rushed towards him. Anastacia yelped and shot out a wave of light, causing the shadows to shriek and shrink away.

"Well, someone's finally learned how to use their magic," Marick snickered as he regrouped with them. "What took you so damn long?"

Anastacia shrugged. "I've never fought before!"

"Didn't they make you practice fighting others with magic?"

"No!"

Marick stared at her aghast. "What kind of teachers was that!?" He turned around to see the brute rushing towards them. "Spread out! Don't stay in one spot!"

Anastacia yelped and jumped out of the way, knocking her head against the dresser. She winced at the blow while checking where Rowen and Marick were. Both pirates managed to dodge towards the creature instead before attacking in tandem. While she watched in awe, a pang of shame shot through her. Rowen was much younger and smaller than her yet he faced the brute alongside Marick. Even when faced with the certainty of death if his spell didn't work, Rowen managed to bounce back. Realization dawned upon her when she remembered Erkalla attacking her with a scythe out of nowhere.

"She was training me," Anastacia whispered.

She stared at her trembling hands, wondering if she had trained more with Erkalla she wouldn't feel such fear. And most of all, would Xychosia have been more willing to help her find the truth behind Sofiene? But she rushed it. Her impatience — Anastacia realized — was what will kill Marick and Rowen if she didn't think of something.

She stood up again only to have black thorns shoot at her. Her eyes widened but she swung her arm to send a white wave to disintegrate them. Anastacia panted and gasped when she saw Princess Anastacia glaring at her coldly. Black smoke swirled under Princess Anastacia's feet as she snapped her fingers, causing multiple purple portals to open up behind her with draconic heads emerging from them.

"If only you didn't wash upon Sofiene's shores that day," she said. "You would have lived a happy and long life."

Anastacia shook her head. "I did have a happy life. But you" — she pointed at the princess — "you decided to mess things up!"

"I wasn't aiming for you. It was the king and queen I wanted dead."

"And Matthias and Silas?"

"Oh, they were just a bonus."

Anastacia's blood boiled. Just a bonus? That's all she thought about her two brothers? Although they teased her often, she never thought of them as just extras. Suddenly, mana began to roil inside her. Her palms burned and a white light engulfed her hands. Without any word, she pointed it at the princess and shot out a large ball of light. But unlike before, her hands didn't tremble. Her body stiffened but not out of fear. Something in her began to spark with ecstasy and adrenaline.

"Be quiet, you peasant," Anastacia growled. "The princes shall not be spoken about in such vulgar manner especially by someone who claims to be their sister."

Princess Anastacia chuckled. "That's rich coming from you, extra."

Anastacia charged several bullets of light as they rushed towards the princess. The other Anastacia summoned her black doves to counter before hurling some chains at Anastacia. She summoned a wave of light again, destroying the incoming black familiars in one swing of her hand. But something in her felt different. An elated feeling blossomed in her chest and her hands grew warmer but not hot enough to hurt. But her throat began to dry. She got thirsty. But not for water.

She charged up another spell, with the ball now taking a more refined shape of white-colored chains. With a wave of her hand, the chains shot forward and pierced through the doves and nearly skewered the princess. A pang of disappointment hit her when she saw it was the brute that had taken the blow. As the brute pulled it out, she noticed that one of her chains did land. It nicked the other princess' eyebrow. She suddenly had the urge to giggle when she realized what she was thirsty for.

It was for that princess' blood.

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