The Quartz Tower (Kingdoms of Oz Book 2) Read online

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  About the Author

  Carrie Whitethorne

  ® Copyright 2019

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  Editing by Elemental Editing Services

  Cover design by Deranged Doctor Designs

  Proof Reading by Zoe’s Author Services

  Formatting by Kassie Morse

  “Consider yourself…”

  Wrong musical.

  For my long-suffering husband.

  Your patience is astounding.

  Thank you.

  Chapter 1

  I was in the courtyard, watching. Remi still wasn’t back. The sun had risen, and the cloudless sky was blue. The longer I watched and waited, the more anxious I felt.

  Fallon was leaning on the wall beside the door to the north tower. Wearing his usual leather pants and vest, he was perfectly relaxed and just observing me. Tilting his head, he held out his hand.

  “Where?” I queried, assuming he wanted me to go with him.

  He opened the door and waited for me to walk through.

  “Up?”

  He nodded, left the door open, and followed me as I climbed the spiral staircase. It was identical to the tower housing my room, and the one Fallon slept in, except the staircase led directly into a circular room holding a large throne-like chair and a large, crystal orb. That was all—at first glance, anyway.

  Recalling the crystal ball my great grandmother had described in her book, I raised my brows in recognition.

  “Is this…?”

  He nodded.

  “I can see anything, anywhere in Oz?” I asked, running my fingertips over the smooth globe.

  It clouded instantly, filling with a white fog. I peered into the smoke but couldn’t make anything out.

  “Same theory as the shoes?” I inquired, as he stepped to my side.

  He placed his hand on the small of my back, and I thought of Remi.

  The smoke swirled then cleared and his face appeared.

  “But where is he?”

  I wasn’t asking anyone in particular, but the image changed, showing me a different picture. Remi was on the back of a Lioneag. He didn’t look afraid and I recognized the creature carrying him.

  “Is anyone with him?” I asked urgently. I’d sent him for a reason, but I wanted proof he hadn’t just been sent home alone.

  The image changed again, showing me another mount. The black, feathered bird carried a single rider. She wasn’t wearing armor this time, but a pair of flowing pants and a matching shirt instead. Her blonde hair flew behind her as the bird raced toward the border.

  I looked at Fallon with my eyes wide. “She’s coming with him. Now.”

  He didn’t look concerned, instead he moved over to the window as if to watch.

  “Will she get past the thing I put up yesterday?” I asked, joining him.

  He shrugged and put his arm around my shoulders, squeezing gently.

  “I’m not afraid of her, Fallon, I just don’t want a repeat of… well, you know.”

  I turned away, looking back to the now clear ball. That was useful. That was incredibly useful. I remembered Sayer had mentioned it, but he didn’t give it as much credence as the slippers. I made a mental note to go back and practice using it later. “Come on, I should get ready for her. If she doesn’t land and tear everything apart, she’ll probably expect tea or something.”

  Daniel chose another of the soldiers to go with him to escort my guest to the fortress. I felt bad not knowing his name, but thanked him for helping as I set the table for a late lunch. I wasn’t really hungry, but I was sure Fallon and Tatiana would be. He’d taken himself off to the kitchen, I didn’t know what for because there wasn’t much in the way of food in there and I didn’t have a store to run to for supplies.

  It was the first time I’d used my table. I’d created it with grandeur in mind, something I’d never had before. The smaller table I’d eaten at with Glinda, Sayer, and Fallon was more intimate—too intimate, given how Glinda behaved toward Fallon.

  This shouted formality. Boundaries. Power.

  I ran my hand over the wood, admiring the craftsmanship and wondering who had actually made it when I heard the door open.

  Remi’s voice carried into the room, and I went to greet him and my guest.

  “Lady Ellana, may I present the Lady Tatiana, Witch of the North,” he announced with a bow.

  I smiled at him and patted his shoulder. “Thanks. That isn’t your job. I appreciate you going all that way for me.”

  He nodded and stepped back. “Is there anything else you require, my lady?”

  “Will you stay for lunch?” I asked, knowing his answer before he gave it. When he shook his head, I spoke before he could. “Okay. You must be exhausted, go home and get some rest. I’ll be fine here.”

  Tatiana had remained silent during our exchange. I was aware of her standing there, watching me. I could feel her eyes on me, but I ignored her until I was done. How I handled my people was my business, and I was done keeping up pretenses. She’d demonstrated her willingness to meet with me again by coming here, so she clearly wanted to know who I was. And at this rate, I was more than happy to be myself instead of playing mind games.

  When I did look at her, I smiled. “Hi. Thanks for coming, I know it’s short notice, but you said if I needed anything and, well, I do.”

  Her straight, blonde hair sat just above her shoulders. Her blue eyes shone as she smiled at me, and all the tension and hostility of our previous meeting was gone. “Not at all. I’m glad you invited me. I wanted the opportunity to clear the air.”

  Her previous appearance in my lands had sent my guards into a frenzy. They’d defended their home with no encouragement from me and I’d been forced to halt the battle when her Lioneag had slaughtered dozens of my men. I was still pissed about it. “Yeah. Well, the dead are being tended to by their families and funerals are being arranged,” I commented flatly.

  She had the decency to look apologetic. “Yes, Remi told me,” she replied, abashed.

  I wanted to ask if that was it? If that was all she had to say after all the chaos and death she had caused. Except, I’d invited her to build a bridge and find out what no one seemed able to tell me, not to start a fight, however much I wanted to. “If you want to come with me, we’ll have lunch ready soon. You must be hungry after your journey,” I offered, giving her what I hoped was a welcoming smile.

  She smiled in return and I turned away to head toward the kitchen, wondering what Fallon had managed to scrape together for lunch.

  “What role have you assigned him?” she queried, pulling my attention back to her.

  I didn’t quite understand her question and it must have been clear from my expression when I looked back at her, with my brow raised.

  “Fallon,” she clarified.

  “He�
��s… I haven’t assigned him any role. That isn’t how I work,” I told her, not wanting to be caught at a loss for words.

  She tilted her head and a small line formed between her brows. “No? What about the general?”

  I gave her a sharp look, not liking her belligerent tone at all, and she grimaced. “I didn’t mean for that to sound…” She let out a frustrated breath and looked down at her clothes. “I’m not here to fight. Believe it or not, Ellana, I am here to help.”

  She sounded sincere. At least, there was none of the seemingly forced and brittle sweetness her sister shoved down my throat every time we met, and the barrier had let her through. She obviously didn’t have hostile intentions. But then again, neither did Glinda, apparently. I didn’t trust her any more than I trusted the cream puff, but I was interested to see how this witch thought she could help me. Hell, she’d just killed a load of my people. The war that had torn Oz apart was just as much her mess as it was Glinda’s. She owed me something.

  “Remi presented himself already in the role. Fallon hasn’t given any indication of what he wants to do, yet. For all I know, he wants to leave here and I wouldn’t blame him. It isn’t as though he can tell me.”

  It was an honest answer. I didn’t expect her to respond with, “Have you asked him?”

  “No,” I admitted, glancing around to see if he was there. “I try not to ask questions that require more than a yes or no answer.”

  That last wasn’t entirely true. He could communicate well enough for me to understand him, and she was aware of that. “Ask him. You may be surprised by the answer.” There was a mild challenge in her tone.

  She was watching me and I wasn’t sure which conclusions she was drawing about me, but whatever they were, it seemed they weren’t negative. I was still going to be cautious with her though.

  I started walking toward the kitchen, and called out over my shoulder, “You can wait here or follow, but I’m going to fix lunch.”

  “I’ll help,” she offered.

  The temptation to turn and look at her was immense, but I managed to keep walking, pushing open the door to the kitchen and stepping inside.

  “Oh, you’re here,” I commented when I noticed Fallon.

  He was in the process of setting out plates of what appeared to be very small pastries, and he looked up at me with a broad smile.

  “Where did they come from?”

  He pushed a large terrine of soup toward me and I lifted the lid. “Orla,” I answered, recognizing the contents of the bowl. “How long has she been sending things up here?”

  He shrugged, looking past me to Tatiana.

  “Fallon,” she said in greeting.

  His lips twitched up in a half smile and I mouthed, “What?” His head tipped to the side, indicating he was pleased to see her, and Tatiana cleared her throat.

  “While I took responsibility for these lands after my sister’s… passing, it was Fallon who was left to maintain some sort of order here,” she explained behind me. “I was conscious of the danger of involving myself in these lands. These are not my people. I want the best for them, but they are not mine to govern. In the absence of a witch, the role fell to Fallon’s family. In the absence of a steward and with Fallon reluctant to officially fill the role, it was something of a difficult task.”

  I hadn’t looked away from Fallon while she spoke, watching his expression change from relaxed and friendly to tense when she mentioned his family. But I turned then, and challenged, “So it was you who locked him up here?”

  Her eyes flicked to me then back to him. “He chose to stay.”

  “You left him here alone,” I argued in his defense.

  His hand settled on my shoulder and Tatiana continued, “When he’s ready, he’ll tell you the truth of what happened. I left him alone here because I had no choice. If I interfered, if your army formed an allegiance with me, things would have gone even more badly than they already had. This was the only way to maintain a tentative peace in Oz.”

  I looked to Fallon for his reaction. He nodded once and pointed to the food, apparently willing to move on from the conversation. I wasn’t happy, but I supposed I should get lunch underway. “Take a plate. We’ll just lay it all out and help ourselves,” I suggested.

  If she was bothered by my lack of formality, she didn’t show it. She simply grabbed two plates and followed me back to the dining room.

  When the table was full, I looked at the pair of them and directed, “Take a seat, help yourselves.”

  Fallon waited for me to sit down before serving me a bowl of soup. I opened my mouth to protest, but Tatiana interjected, “No point in arguing with him, he’ll just do it more,” and picked up a small pastry. “I should ask Orla to show Bree how to make these,” she commented, seemingly more to herself.

  “Bree?” I prompted, picking up a bread roll and tearing it in half.

  Tatiana nodded. “My… well, I suppose she’s my steward.”

  I nodded and dipped my roll into my soup. “So,” I began after a few mouthfuls, “as nice as this is, behaving like two old friends having lunch, I should probably get to why I invited you here.”

  Tati nodded once.

  “What do you want from me?” I asked flatly.

  Tatiana looked at Fallon, smiled, and said, “I like her. Do you like her? Never mind, that was a stupid question, you haven’t shot her.” Then she looked to me and continued, “I need you to take the Quartz Tower.”

  I hadn’t had the time to test the power I’d been granted from taking the fortress, and while I assumed the process would be the same in the East, I’d had enough trouble getting into the fortress. What would the Quartz Tower be like? Also, why would she be so keen for me to take on even more power, and what was in it for her? I glanced to Fallon and noticed he was looking at me expectantly. “Why?”

  Tatiana stood up and leaned over the table to ladle soup into her own bowl, replying, “As it stands, the three of us—you, Glinda, and myself—are on an equal footing. We each have a stronghold, we each have a considerable amount of power bestowed upon us, and we each have our own agenda. I also know you are your own person, Ellana. You offer me no allegiance, and I can tell you do not suffer fools gladly, which rules my sister out as a trusted ally. So, in the interests of the people of Oz, I want you to take your place as guardian of the east and set yourself above the both of us.”

  I frowned. There had to be some sort of catch. I couldn’t see either sister easily giving me more control and power than either of them wielded. “Why?” I repeated, sounding like a broken record.

  She sat down, stirring her soup, apparently unconcerned by what she had just stated. “Because without a stable leader here in Oz, there is no one to keep those with power in check.”

  “Yourself included?”

  She smiled, nodded once, and ate a spoonful of soup.

  Fallon didn’t react, continuing with his lunch as though we were discussing the decor, and he seemed to be making a point of not looking my way.

  What the hell was that? Why would Tatiana want me to overpower her? Why did Fallon look as though he expected it?

  Putting my spoon down, I leaned my elbows on the table and speculated, “I like a good manipulation tactic as much as the next girl, but this is a bit above the stakes I’m used to playing with. You want me to take all the power and you want me to protect your world, but what’s in it for you?”

  Leaning back in her chair, she looked me directly in the eyes, and stated, “My people, my family, are in the north. When my sisters were killed, by your grandmother I might add, I was forced to take guardianship of some of their people, and I have been more than happy to do so, but what followed…” Her eyes darkened, and she took a steadying breath before continuing, “The Emerald City was lost, sacked and burned. The Wizard, a peaceful man who helped so many, burned with it. Millions of people have died. I did my best, but it was never enough, and while I know I should have done more, taken more risks, done more dam
age, I was unable to. As much as I hate what she has become, Glinda is my sister, and I cannot bring myself to serve the justice she deserves. But you, Ellana, if your power outstrips hers, can tip the balance. You can return Oz to its former glory.” She glanced to Fallon. “You have the support and you have the right values to rule if you take what is yours. I have full trust in you. I know you can undo much of the damage and give our people, all the people of Oz, the hope and strength to rebuild. All you have to do is stop her.”

  She went back to her soup after that little speech, leaving me to mull over her words and find a response.

  I didn’t really know what to say. How do you respond to that? She’d just laid the blame entirely at Glinda’s feet. For everything. Did that mean Glinda really had orchestrated poor Dorothy’s involvement here? Had my suspicions been correct? If Tatiana was to be believed, and Fallon didn’t look as though he disagreed with any of her claims, then why had Glinda brought me here? Surely she knew all of this too? What did Glinda have planned? Despite all the questions whirling in my head, all I managed to blurt was, “You want me to kill your sister?”

  Tatiana shrugged. “I’d rather you didn’t, but if I’m going to be sensible, the important thing is that she’s stopped. If that ends in her demise, then so be it.”

  I looked at her in disbelief.

  “I have a duty here, Ellana. I took an oath—”

  “You people and your damned oaths,” I snapped, thinking of Sayer and the oath keeping him with the Sugarplum Fairy who, according to her sister, was the cause of all this destruction. “That shit died out with knights and castles where I’m from, except for doctors and lawyers, but their jobs are kind of important. I mean, seriously, swearing an oath to serve Your Magicness dinner every evening promptly at seven? Who does that?”