Brandt stood by his emperor, studying the enigma before him. He wished for answers, but none would come today.
A while later he felt Alena more clearly. “She’s here.”
Hanns took a deep breath and stepped toward the gate. He put his hand on one arch, a slight tensing of his body the only indication of the tremendous powers flowing through him. When Brandt had touched the gate near Landow, it almost tore his body into pieces. Hanns turned to him, still able to focus on events in the physical world. That in itself told Brandt how impressive the emperor’s control was.
“Be careful not to touch the gate itself. Once you are certain you and Alena are connected, touch my shoulder. Allow me to be your conduit.”
“I will.”
Hanns closed his eyes, trusting Brandt to follow his guidance.
Brandt closed his own eyes, dropping once again into Alena’s kitchen. He’d visited the actual room a few times when he had recuperated in Landow. and Alena’s eye for detail was evident in every corner of the room. She stood next to the fire, playing idly with her hair, the same as she always did when she was scared. “It’s time?”
Brandt’s reply caught in his throat. He could feel his heart pulsing in his chest. He nodded.
Alena came up to him and wrapped a cord around her wrist and his. Then she met his eyes.
In the real world, Brandt took a step forward and put his hand on Hanns’ shoulder.
The power of the gate crashed over him, overwhelming his control in an instant. But Alena was there, guiding him through the transition. The forces tearing through him faded, and he thought of being wrapped in blankets inside a sturdy house as a storm raged beyond the walls.
He found himself in darkness, standing next to Hanns. In this soulscape Hanns appeared younger, muscles still taut under tanned skin. This was his emperor decades ago.
Alena, less impressed by authority, spoke first, her voice behind Brandt making him jump. “This place suits you.”
Hanns’ grin was mirthless. “A lesson for you, Alena. In this place, your self-image is part of your strength. This form isn’t just vanity, although I’ll admit it feels good to erase the aches and pains of an aging body.”
Alena nodded, her eyes searching for clues Brandt couldn’t guess at. She studied Hanns carefully. Then her eyes widened. “You connected to the second gate.”
Hanns kept his face neutral, but Brandt knew Alena’s statement was true and had caught him off guard. Something in the shift of Hanns’ weight gave him away.
“You’re perceptive,” was all he said.
Brandt glanced between the two. Then he settled on the emperor. “You connected with the gate outside Landow?”
“I did.”
“I thought you were going to use it to defeat the queen for good.”
Hanns gave a bitter laugh. “I said no such thing. I did hope it would allow me to fight her on more even terms. But that might have been optimistic. I haven’t revealed my connection yet, and have taken great pains to hide it.” He glared at Alena.
“This close to a gate, I don’t think hiding it is possible,” Alena said.
“Apparently.” The emperor paused. “Are we ready?”
“What should we expect?” Brandt asked.
“I wish I knew.”
Before they could respond, Brandt felt the space around them change. They traveled from darkness to darkness, but this darkness felt different. The air was cool and clammy against his skin. Off in the distance he thought he heard the drip of water into a puddle.
Alena fell to her knees, holding her head in her hands.
Brandt turned to her, but before he could even ask a question, a voice echoed in his head. For a moment it was all he could hear. His whole world became her voice.
He had missed her.
Why had he ever feared? Under her, he was safe. He would fall on his own sword, if only for her smile.
Beside him, Alena screamed, but the sound was muffled. It still grated against his ears, though. If he killed her, the sound would stop.
Hanns stepped toward Alena. He reached down and hauled her up by the arm. The emperor grimaced at the effort required. But as soon as he touched her arm the screaming stopped.
A moment later, Brandt’s trance was broken. He blinked, and the realization of what had just happened made his knees shake. With a sword in hand he had once believed he could fight any enemy. But how could he fight a queen whose weapons were unlike any he understood?
Alena nodded her thanks to Hanns. “I wasn’t ready for that. I’m sorry.”
“Nothing to apologize for,” the emperor grunted. “I suspect she expected us.”
Laughter cackled in the background. “I certainly did.”
Brandt turned toward her voice, though he couldn’t see her.
Hanns gritted his teeth and groaned. The area around them brightened, even though there was no light source. They stood in a large cave, tunnels to other caves found in all directions. Across the cave from them, the queen lounged on her throne, two priests standing to attention on either side.
The queen waved her hand and the light faded. “You’re ruining the atmosphere,” she said.
“Where is this?” The emperor sounded as though an enormous weight rested on his chest.
“I grew up in these,” the queen replied. “We all seek places of comfort, and this is mine.”
“It doesn’t seem terribly comfortable,” Alena replied flippantly.
Brandt couldn’t see, but he could feel the queen’s attention focus on their young ally. “Ahh. Alena. You are not welcome here.”
The air around them pulsed with life. Brandt inhaled and found he couldn’t breathe. A thousand needles burned into his skin.
And then the pain vanished.
Alena’s breath now came in ragged gasps.
“My.” Brandt thought the queen sounded impressed. “You’ve grown, haven’t you? And with no one to train you, either.”
The queen’s voice circled the chamber. Brandt didn’t know if she walked around them or if it was a trick of this place.
