Gods and Dark Creatures (Book 3)

CH. 9: Dragomira

Dragomira and her father returned back to the Red Palace. Alexei was impatiently waiting for their return.

"What are you planning to do?!" he was horrified when they told him what they had learned and what Dragomira intended. "It's madness."

"I have no choice," said Dragomira.

"You have a choice," argued Alexei.

"Not if I want to find Cassius," Dragomira countered.

"You're not going to tell her anything about that?" Alexei turned to their father. "Stop her."

"You know your sister, Alexei. Once she set her mind to something, you can't force it out of her head." their father replied.

"Trying to walk through the Forest of the Dead is suicide," said Alexei.

"Like father said, you won't stop me, brother," Dragomira said adamantly.

"In that case, I'll go with you. I am the commander of the royal guards. It's my duty to keep you alive," Alexei remarked.

"No," Dragomira refused. "I need you to stay here and watch over Toska. War is coming and the soldiers need their commander."

"Toska needs its queen," Alexei scolded her.

"Don't lecture me." Dragomira scolded him. "I am your queen. I order you to stay here and rule Toska in my absence."

"You can't," argued Alexei.

"She can." their father grinned. "She is a queen and you are a soldier in her service."

"I'll give up my position if it prevents you from doing that stupid thing," Alexei said determinedly.

"I do not accept your resignation," Dragomira retorted. "Nothing will stop me from getting to the other side of that cursed forest and finding Queen Amaya."

"You're crazy," Alexei told her.

"That's good. I'll need it if I don't want to lose the game the goddess Eris plays with us," said Dragomira.

⸸

Dragomira had no idea how to get through the Forest of the Dead, but maybe she knew a way to find out. No one knew what the price was for biting into one of those golden apples hanging from that seemingly dead tree. She hoped it would be able to answer that question, and maybe even how to save Cassius.

She hesitantly approached the tree. It always radiated a special magic. It gave her goosebumps. She understood the reason why Cassius kept it to himself and hid it from the world.

She took an uncertain step forward. One more, two more. She reached for the golden apple hanging right in front of her. As if it were offered to her. As if it would silently say to her, tear me away, bite me.

"Do you even know how it works?" Alexei asked her, deciding to keep an eye on her, because with her imprudence, she would only end up in the grave before saving the king from the ominous Goddess of Chaos.

"I have no idea," replied Dragomira.

"What if it's not magical at all? What if it's poisoned?" Alexei was worried about his sister.

"We'll find out."

Before she could take a bite, her father stopped her.

"I don't know much about golden apples, they've only been a legend until now, but you should think about what you're looking for answers to," he told her.

She nodded. She only focused on the one thing she wanted to know, how to get to Cassius. She took a bite out of the golden apple. Its taste was bitter. She struggled not to spit it out.