Druscilla had a lot on her mind. At the forefront was how she could support three vampires in one place without raising suspicion. She also wondered how she’d keep the Duke away from the princess without losing his support in the war. They had already started out on shaky ground, with Druscilla firmly establishing that Gwen was under her wing. In retrospect, that was a mistake.

As she lay on her back pondering all this she kept an ear out for Gwen who was down the Hall, fast asleep. No doubt the Duke would send his own actors to sway the princess.

Meanwhile, after hours of grunting and moaning like a dying animal Dixie had finally gone quiet. Penelope came to report to Druscilla.

“So, it’s done?” Druscilla preemptively asked, sensing Pen’s intentions.

“It is.”

“And the ‘maid’? “

“Dead. It’s uh- not pretty. I’m not sure we can explain it away.”

“I’ll think of something.”

Penelope sighed tiredly. “Days like this I really miss my home.”

“All in due time.”

“Desmona and Morrigan really left, huh.”

Though she was loathe to admit it, Desmona and Morrigan’s departure left Druscilla with the faint, hollow feeling of being abandoned. “Seems so.”

“Will they be back?”

“Probably not. Morrigan’s dead set on going out to sea. And you know how Desmona is – conscientious and no agency of her own.” Druscilla swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. “Now show me this mess Dixie made.

And it truly was a mess. Instead of the neck, Dixie had gone for the chest. The long since still heart had spurted blood all over, and the sheets had changed colour. The smell assaulted Druscilla’s nose and her fangs subconsciously extended.

“Ah, where’s the grace in that…” Druscilla felt a light migraine coming on. How will I deal with this.

Dixie herself was curled up in a ball on the ground clutching her abdomen. She was fast asleep.

“Did they already take the clothes we came in with?”

“No,” Pen answered.

“Good. Pick a dress and rip it into strips. Tie it around her chest like you would a bandage. Wait an hour then call for help. Say the bandages split open.”

“Surely no one would believe that…”

“They will if you make them.” This was the perfect opportunity for Druscilla to gauge just how potent Pen’s powers were in relation to her own. “Can you handle that?”

“I can try.”

“I’ll be with Gwen. I’ll be listening out for you – call me if you need me.”

Druscilla left Pen to her own devices. Yet again delegating an important job to someone else. I hope I don’t regret this.

She padded down the hall to Gwen’s assigned room. “Wake up. It’s almost sunsrise.”

“I couldn’t sleep.”

“What? Why? Today’s an important day, we can’t have you meet the Duke’s court when you’re half asleep.”

“Did you know, he has a shaman.”

“What the hell is a shaman?”

“A type of priest, from the dense jungles of the far east.”

“Isn’t that illegal by your customs.”

“It sure is, but so is supporting my claim.”

“Okay but what does this shaman have to do with anything. And how do you even know that there is a shaman in the first place.”

“He came to visit me after you left last night. He told me things. He told me what you are.” Gwen retreated to the far side of the bed.

Druscilla sat on the opposite side. “Whatever he said, what reason do you have to believe him? If you’re going to be queen, you’ll need to introduce skepticism to your life.” Worrying, I didn’t hear anyone come to talk to Gwen.

“He said you drink blood. Human blood. That you’re not actually a fae, but a demon.”

“If so, why aren’t you dead? Why did I take the risk of taking you all the way from Ginawaine? Why did I teach you things that are not even of this world? Would I really do all that if I didn’t have your best interests at heart?”

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“He said you wanted to make me your pawn, just like everybody else.”

“Come on. Idiots are easier to manipulate than educated young women. If I wanted to control you I’d see to it that you remain an ignorant idiot. Gwen, this sudden fear and doubt you have of me is misplaced. This strange man appears to have said a lot, but he wasn’t the one who took you from the threshold of death.”

“I suppose not, I’m sorry.”

Dodged a bullet there. “You have a long day ahead. Let’s get you ready.”

“Actually, the shaman said he wanted to meet you and Morrigan.”

Druscilla tensed. “How does he know about Morrigan?”

“He didn’t say.”

“Where can I find him?”

“He said ‘at the bottom of the spiral staircase.’ He also said not to waste time as he’s waiting for you.”

“Is he now? Well he’ll just have to wait. You’re my top priority for now.”

“The suns have barely risen. I can handle myself – and there’s time before I appear before court.”

“Okay fine. But I want you to remember this: if I’m somehow late and you show up to court without me, do not make any promises or decisions until I come, okay? Just deflect and vaguely placate them. You can do that, right.”

“I can.”

“Good. I’ll be back in a jiffy.”

The spiral staircase in question was a prominent feature that ran through the core of the fortress. All walkways and corridors diverged from here. Druscilla was halfway down it before she remembered she had given Pen a task. I trust her not to fuck this up. The prospect of having things spiral out of control was like a pit in her stomach.

I need to get this done quickly. This mysterious shaman inspired feelings of curiosity and apprehension within Druscilla.

The stairs probably had thousands of steps as Druscilla was deep beneath the earth. The sounds of the stirring fort had been replaced by moles and worms swimming about in the earth. So the walls are not thick. How have they managed not to collapse?

Finally, she came to a wooden reinforced trapdoor at the bottom. There was no source of light, but Druscilla could see clear as day. The grey walls had given way to brown soil in some places. It was like the masons ran out of time or resources preventing them from finishing the walls, leaving them in this incomplete state.

Despite having heavy iron bars crisscrossing the wood, the door was not locked. Druscilla lifted it up and went within. Inside was what looked like a lab. A very rudimentary one with glass apparatus all over. Some vessels were filled with foul smelling liquids of various colours, others had vapours bubbling from them. A handful of candles on a candelabra cast long shadows over the room.

There was a line on the ground at Druscilla’s feet. It appears to be made out of chalk dust. Somehow she knew that she could not cross the boundary. She could feel it in her bones.

“I’ve sanctified this place,” a hoarse voice said. Druscilla looked around and saw an emaciated man sitting cross legged at the far wall. “You can’t get in unless I invite you in.”

“Well, it’s rude to keep me waiting you know.” Druscilla could not detect any life from this man at all. She could hear neither his heartbeat nor his breathing. She could barely even see him, bathed in shadows as he was. “Can I come in?”

“Come in.” It felt like she had been released from the grip of a vice. She walked into the room. She could see now it was spherical – not quite circular, with the man sitting at its apex. “That’s close enough. Stop.”

“What on earth are you wearing?” The man was in a simple robe that stretched to his ankle. On his neck, however, was an assortment of beads and teeth from various animals. Druscilla could hardly see the man’s neck. “That looks immeasurably uncomfortable.”

“What, this? These are charms and fetishes. I had to put them all on – to protect me from you.”

“That seems a bit excessive. You’ve nothing to fear from me – yet.”

“Something had changed in you, old friend.”

“Eh? I’m certain we’ve never met.”

“Oh we have, it feels like a century ago.”

“You knew Ruringer Clearwater? Impossible.”

“I’m older than I look.”

“And you expect me to believe you?”

“No. What I want is for you to hear me out.”

“Make it quick.”

“Ruringer was spoken to by a voice, and was written off as a lunatic thereafter. But you see, she was not alone in this. Rather, she was the most well known of her brethren. In total, there were about seven such women.”

“Only women?”

“Indeed. Ruringer was executed. The rest of them mysteriously dropped dead.”

“Wait, back up a little. How do you know the exact number?”

“I’m a shaman, I have my ways.”

“Care to elaborate?”

“No.”

“Fine keep your secrets.” Druscilla turned to leave.

“Wait. My sister was one of them. I performed a rite on her and was able to locate her brethren. Three in the East, three in the West, and one in the middle: Boshamia. My sister’s health declined, so I went in search of a cure, some way to break the curse. None of the other women knew anything. I should have given up, but I was young and brimming with vitality. So I kept on searching. I crossed the sea from Vitia and wound up here.

Fate eventually brought me to Ruringer Clearwater. Unlike the others, Ruringer was not ignorant.”

“You speak of her with no honorific. What exactly was your relationship?”

“Friends. Good friends. Ruringer had visions and I was the only one who would listen and believe. I even compiled them for her.”

“It was you who wrote that book.”

“It was. But there was a lot that I omitted. Like the fact that she saw her death and undeath. She also saw a city made of light and glass floating in the ocean.”

“No way.”

“It is true, sound familiar?”

“It does, but please, do continue.”

“Right, she also described something she called the pillar of humanity.”

“That sounds overly dramatic. How come I’ve not heard of it?”

“Because it is not a physical pillar per se, rather, an intangible one. There are several sentient races in the world. Dragons, elves, goblins and many, many others. Have you ever wondered why none of them are in Boshamia? The pillar keeps them away.”

“Huh, interesting.”

“Ruringer said it was of the utmost importance that she find it.”

“Why didn’t she? If it’s not physical then that should make it easier to find or…?”

“It’s not quite that easy. Like any talisman, there is something physical anchoring it to our world. I don’t know what it is. But Ruringer said it was deep below the largest fortress of the land. At the time, this was the place.”

“But you didn’t find it?”

“No, eventually the royal Palace became the largest building in Boshamia.”

“I’ve been there, that place is not a fortress.”

“It’s still your best shot.”

“Why are you telling me all this?”

“I deserve closure don’t I?”

“If it’s keeping out monsters why would I want to tamper with it?”

“Ruringer foresaw the future, and she was adamant that you find it.”

Druscilla mulled over all this information. “The Pillar of Humanity, huh. What an unoriginal name. I’ll look into it when I retake the capital. Now before that. Tell me everything Ruringer told you… “