Darkness surrounded us like a blanket, but the night was not warm. It was cold. Deadly. I stumbled through the alleys and shadows as if I carried a mortal wound.

      I did. My heart beat and I was not injured, but I did not feel anything but pain. Loss. And rage. A rage so terrible I knew if I let out the smallest sound I would scream for hours.

      “Come, my queen. We are nearly there.” The guard’s arm around my waist was gentle but firm. I did not know his name. The crest on his uniform was from a family I knew and trusted and for now, that was enough. This young man had saved my life even as my love, my king, lay dead. With each step we took, I moved farther away from my mate, from the life I knew as Queen Celene, the life we shared ruling Alera. Everything had changed now. The planet was in crisis, and I knew what I must do. I would not allow a coup to overthrow the peaceful rule of government which had been established thousands of years before. I would not allow those who wanted me dead to take control.

      “There will be warriors not loyal to you guarding the citadel. They won’t allow you to just walk inside, to the only safe place for you on the planet. They will either kill you on sight or take you directly to the bastards who slayed the king, who wish you dead as well. Who almost succeeded.” The second guard was older, a dear friend for many years, and his harsh words caused me to shudder. Of course, he was correct.

      The traitors who wanted me dead would take the sacred gemstones, worn for eons by the planet’s current ruler, and try to use them for their own ends. The black stones around my neck were a sign of my reign