Ava Galliano: The Last Dark Queen

New Friends

The foul, decaying house stood as a testament to the twisted underworld that it inhabited. Kingston wrinkled his nose as he passed through the rotting wooden doors, his senses assaulted by the smell of mildew, sulfur, and something far more sinister. Hell, he had decided long ago, was full of such unpleasant surprises. But this place, the so-called “meeting spot,” was beyond even his tolerance.

“What’s the point of this?” Kingston muttered under his breath. “This place is a dump. I don’t even know why you couldn’t have chosen somewhere less… foul.”

“Kingston, thank you for making the trip,” Zuki’s voice echoed out from the shadows, as if the darkness itself had a voice. Zuki had become something of an enigma in Kingston’s eyes—always lurking, always manipulating. Today, his figure finally emerged from the gloom.

“Why am I here?” Kingston crossed his arms, impatient. “Do you have any idea how much time I’m wasting with this nonsense?”

Zuki stepped forward, his voice laced with sarcasm, though there was a hint of something far darker lurking beneath his words. “Mate troubles?”

Kingston’s jaw tightened. “Don’t pretend you care about my life, Zuki. Just get to the point.”

Zuki’s gaze didn’t falter, and his smile grew sharper, like a blade being drawn from its sheath. “Right to it then. Have you made any progress?”

Kingston’s frustration flared. “She’s putting on an act—saying nothing will happen until we’re married. Keeps playing the trauma card. Can’t we just find another way?”

Zuki’s dark eyes flickered, his tone dropping into something colder. “No. She has what I need, and you have what she wants. It won’t work unless she cooperates with you.”

Kingston scoffed. “And you think I’m just going to convince her? Can’t we just use someone else?”

Zuki's expression darkened further, his patience waning. “No spell will work on her. She’s too far gone, too intricately tangled in magic. Only she holds the key to what we need, and it must be with her consent. Otherwise, this entire scheme falls apart.”

Kingston’s eyes narrowed, annoyance creeping into his words. “I don’t need a lecture from you. You want me to ‘get her to cooperate,’ but I didn’t sign up for this.”

Zuki stepped forward, his voice low and serious now. “You’re the one who’s being asked to play a part. This isn’t just about you or her. This is about securing power. Don’t forget that.”

A tense silence fell between them. The stench of decay in the room seemed to grow heavier, pressing down on Kingston like the weight of the entire kingdom. He hated this place. He hated this plan. But above all, he hated the growing sense of unease creeping into his gut.

“Time is running out, Kingston,” Zuki’s voice echoed, a threat without need for further explanation. “The dark queen is not patient. You will make this work, or the consequences will be far worse than you think.”

Kingston felt the weight of the words settle in his chest. “Fine. I’ll do it. But don’t think this is over.”

Zuki’s smile curled into something predatory. “Oh, it’s far from over. This is just the beginning.”

Meanwhile, in the Third Kingdom...

Isa wasn’t paying much attention to Kingston and Niles’ bickering. Her mind was elsewhere, overwhelmed by the dizzying swirl of thoughts she could no longer silence. Her mate bond with Kingston had become more complicated with each passing day. There was a pressing tension, a discomfort she couldn’t ignore. She could feel Kingston’s growing impatience, and it left her feeling… cornered.

Her wolf, once calm and confident, now seemed to be clawing at her, urging her to act, to give in. The more she resisted, the more it tugged at her heartstrings—an ache she couldn’t shake off.

“Rhea, are you alright?” Kingston’s voice pulled her from her thoughts. The use of her demon name sent a ripple through her, and she gave him a half-hearted smile, placing her hand on top of his.

“I’m fine,” she said, though the words felt hollow. She wasn’t sure what was happening inside her anymore. “Just thinking.”

Kingston shot her a grin, but his eyes held a hint of concern that Isa had come to associate with his moods. “Don’t think too long. Might make your brain explode.”

Isa managed a small chuckle, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “You’re so funny, Niles. And you wonder why you haven’t found yourself a girlfriend yet.”

“That hurts,” Niles chimed in, a smirk on his lips. He was a recent transfer from a demon village far on the outskirts of the Third Kingdom, and though he didn’t reveal much about himself, Isa had found comfort in their friendship. Niles had a way of lightening the atmosphere, especially with the tension between Isa and Kingston growing heavier by the day.

She knew it wasn’t just Kingston’s desire for them to be together that was wearing on her; it was the fear of what the bond meant, what it demanded.

When the evening bell rang, dismissing the students from class, Isa and Kingston made their way back to her house to study for the final exams. Isa was almost at the finish line of her education in the Third Kingdom. Soon, she’d graduate again—but her heart felt no closer to understanding what that meant for her future.

Her father, Charles, had sent her away to this kingdom with no explanation, and had sent no word since. She had been left in the dark, along with the countless unanswered questions that haunted her.

Mrs. Telfast stood at the front door, watching as the two of them slowly ascended the stairs. Isa caught her mother’s gaze, but didn’t acknowledge the silent look of disapproval in her eyes.

“Don’t give me that look,” Isa called over her shoulder. “We need to study for the history test.”

Mrs. Telfast just shook her head with a smile, resigned to the antics of her daughter. “Uh-huh. You know the rules.”

“Yes, mother,” Isa muttered, rolling her eyes, though she couldn’t help the smile tugging at her lips. Her mother was always a force to be reckoned with, but she had a soft spot for Isa’s stubbornness.

As they entered Isa’s room, Kingston immediately eyed the broken door handle. “God, I miss home cooking,” he said, taking a bite of one of Mrs. Telfast’s cookies. “Your mum’s food beats mine any day. Though after the fire, she was banned from the kitchen, wasn’t she?”

“Yeah, well, if you’d let me cook for you, you wouldn’t need to steal food from us,” Isa teased, opening her history book. This subject, she had to admit, was the one she dreaded the most—mainly because she had lived through so much of it.

“Are we actually going to study, or…?” Kingston began, looking half-amused.

“When have I ever said we were going to study and not actually studied?” Isa smirked, already pulling out her notes.

Kingston sighed dramatically. “Fine. But just so you know, the whole ‘studying’ excuse doesn’t fool me, Rhea.”

“Sorry to disappoint, but I’m not interested in distractions,” Isa replied, pushing her book closer to him. “Besides, I don’t feel comfortable with the door handle missing.”

Kingston laughed, taking another cookie. “What do you let her boss you around for? Just get a new door handle.”

“You don’t understand,” Isa said, shaking her head. “In my culture, we respect our parents, even when they’re inconvenient.”

Kingston just raised an eyebrow, taking a bite of his cookie. "Well, then I guess I'll just have to be the bad influence for you."

Isa smirked, her mind already drifting to the uncertain path ahead, wondering just what her bond with Kingston would lead to—and whether it would be the salvation she so desperately wanted, or the chain that would bind her forever.