Return To Sky Raven (Book 2) (38 page)

Ollis continued, “We believe they wrapped all the bodies in oil cloth and loaded them into a wagon on the street; the attacker’s bodies so we couldn’t identify them, and your parents’ to use for shock value. I suppose it would make a statement if they were in the front ranks of the next undead attack. They disappeared before the neighbors even knew what was happening; we have trackers working on finding the wagons. I have to say, your folks put up a hell of a fight…so much blood.”

I was stunned. My parents dead and soon to be zombies!

“Maya, Alex is outside,”
Winya whispered gravely. Nia returned and gave me a terse shake of the head before flying out the door.

Fighting back the pain, I fled outside to the only comfort and safety I knew; there to find Alex, in his enchanter’s robes, being detained by a group of grim city guard. My rational mind told me that he could have walked right through them if he had wanted but, of course, he was too nice to do that. Walking shakily out onto the step, I noticed a lot more dark elves had gathered at the front of the house.

“Alex! It’s alright, you can let him pass, he’s my fiancé,” I said, motioning to the guards hollowly, my grief overwhelming my brain functions. I wanted nothing more than to be held in his arms right at the moment.

“A human? I’m afraid not any more, he isn’t,” huffed a distinguished-looking dark elf who had come up next to me wearing councilman’s robes. Several more council members filled in behind him.

“What?”

He took a deep breath, “With the loss of your parents, the King and Queen, you are no longer just a Princess, free to marry anyone of equal or higher stature. You are now the Queen, the ruler of all the dark elf people. You have all the privileges and responsibilities that entails. The council will, of course, demand that you marry a suitable dark elf candidate from our nobility, as soon as possible.” He stopped and raised his arms, looking all around him, as all the guards and council members went down on a knee.

“All hail, Queen Maya!”

End of book 2

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